After a seven-hour deliberation on bail application, a Minna High Court Judge, Justice Aliyu Mayaki, has ordered that former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, alongside the Peoples Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate in the 2015 governorship elections, Umar Mohammed Nasko, be remanded in prison pending a ruling on their bail applications on May 3, 2017.
The presiding Judge, while ruling after seven hours of argument by the prosecutor and counsel to the defendants, said one week shall be dedicated to representation of the case for prosecution.
According to Justice Mayaki: “The case is to be opened on June 12, 2017 and to be held day by day till 16th June and the ruling on bail is to be delivered on 3rd May, 2017. They are to be remanded in Medium Security Prisons in Minna.”
Earlier, the lead counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Gbolahan Latona, had levelled a six-count charge on Aliyu as the first defendant and Nasko as the second defendant.
When the charges were read to them, they pleaded not guilty to the allegation of misappropriation of N4,568,680,600 belonging to the Niger State Government.
According to Latona: “The six count charge levelled against the defendants are that Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (former Governor of Niger State as Governor and Umar Nasko (as Commissioner for Ministry Environment/Chief of Staff) between 1st January, 2011 and 31st May, 2011 conspired within yourselves to commit an illegal act to wit; criminal breach of trust and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.
“Count two, that you, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu between 1st January and 31st May, 2011 dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N520,348,000 which was withdrawn from Niger state Government House Security Account number 1012424374 domociled in Zenith Bank Plc and you thereby committed the offence contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code punishable under section 312 of the same code.
“Count three, that you, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu some time between 1st January and 31st December 2011 dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N1,725,837,000 which was withdrawn from Niger state Government House Security Account number 1012424374 domociled in Zenith Bank Plc and you thereby committed the offence contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code punishable under section 312 of the same code.
“Count four, that Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu as Governor and Umar Nasko (as Commissioner for Ministry Environment/Chief of Staff) between 7th April and 7th December, 2015 while being entrusted with dominion over money belonging to Niger state government dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N1,090,000,000 which formed part of the proceeds of the sale of 16 percent shares of Niger state in North South Power company Limited and you thereby committed the offence contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code punishable under section 312 of the same code.
“Count five, that you, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu as Governor and Umar Nasko (as Commissioner for Ministry Environment/Chief of Staff) between 7th May and 30th December, 2014 dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N800,000,000 which sum forms part of the Ecological Funds meant for Environmental/Ecological consultancy Project by the Niger state Ministry of Environment for Zone B of Niger state and you thereby committed the offence contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code punishable under section 312 of the same code.
“That you Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu as Governor and Umar Nasko (as Commissioner for Ministry Environment/Chief of Staff) between May and 30th December, 2014 dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N432,495,600 which sum forms part of the Ecological Funds meant for Environmental/Ecological consultancy Project by the Niger state Ministry of Environment for Zone B of Niger state and you thereby committed the offence contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code punishable under section 312 of the same code.”
Babangida and Nasko were ushered into the courtroom at about 8.40am by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission led by Latona and three other lawyers.
The court however stood down for 30 minutes at the start of the case to enable counsels of the parties involved in the case compare notes on oral application made by EFCC to amend its original charges.
On resumption of proceedings, the legal teams to the first and second accused persons, Ayodele Oladeji and Mamman Mike Osuman, did not object to the amended charges.
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