Turaki challenges transfer of his trial back to Abuja

A former governor of Jigawa, Saminu Turaki, on Friday challenged the directive of the chief judge of the Federal High Court which transferred his matter from the Dutse Division of the court back to Abuja.
At the resumed trial, the Prosecuting Counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, said that he got a hearing notice for the matter in respect to the directive from the chief judge transferring the matter back Abuja.
Turaki’s lawyer, Olusegun Jolaawo, however, said that there were two issues for the court to resolve in the matter.
One of which, he said, was for the court to allow parties to address it on the directive of the chief judge.
Jolaawo’s argument was that Justice Nnamdi Dimgba made a valid order on July 18, 2017, transferring the suit to the Dutse division of the court.
According to him the order is extant and has not been challenged or vacated.
The lawyer maintained that the chief judge’s directive was administrative in nature.
He submitted that for the trial to be transferred back to Abuja, it must be through an order of the court.
Dimgba directed Turaki’s counsel to file his motion challenging the directive which transferred the matter back to Abuja.
He adjourned the matter until March 13 for hearing.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Turaki is being prosecuted by the Federal Government on a 32-count criminal charge, bordering on alleged money laundering, amounting to N36 billion.
He is said to have committed the offence while in office as governor of Jigawa.
The ex-governor was arraigned before Dimgba alongside three companies, INC Natural Resources Ltd., Apel Construction Ltd. and WideHeart Construction Ltd.
He was, however, admitted to bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in like sum.