Uzor Orji Kalu

The two ex-Governors were ordered locked up at the Kuje Prison by Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako till next week when their cases would be brought back to court.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday told a Federal High Court in Abuja, that a former Governor of Jigawa State, Saminu Turaki, allegedly looted N17bn from the state’s treasury in one day.

The sum, according to a charge sheet prepared by the commission, is only a part of the N33bn and another $20m Turaki allegedly misappropriated within a year.

According to the charge sheet, sighted by one of our correspondents, Turaki, who was arraigned alongside former Abia state governor, Chief Orji Kalu, allegedly began diverting the money on May 3, 2006.

The document, signed by one Isa Bature Gafai of the Legal and Prosecution unit of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, showed that on May 3, 2006, alone 17 fraudulent bank transactions were carried out by him during which the N17bn was diverted.

On July 31, 2006, he allegedly withdrew N91.8m from the state’s treasury and N32.5m on August 27.

On September 27 2006, he withdrew N3.46m; N417m on October 27, 2006; N32.5m on November 1, 2006; and N25.1m on November 28, 2006.

Ten months to May 29, 2007 when he left office, N9.2bn was siphoned from the state’s treasury by the former governor through three transactions.

Another N400m was withdrawn before the bubble finally burst.

As the charges were being read to him, Turaki, who looked tired, shook his head intermittently in the dock.

At a point, tears rolled down his cheeks. He quickly dipped his right hand into his pocket and brought out a white handkerchief with which he cleaned his face.

Turaki, who tenaciously held on to a copy of the Holy Quran, was accompanied to the court by his wife.

After the charges were read to him, his lawyer, Mr. Ayodele Olajide, moved an application for his bail.

Olajide, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, argued that the offences which Turaki allegedly committed were bailable.

He prayed the court to allow him to file a written application for bail since the prosecution was entitled to two days to respond to it.

The lawyer asked that his client be remanded in the custody of the EFCC instead of Kuje Prisons.

Responding, Mr. Rotimi Jacob, the EFCC lead counsel, said since he was served the application for bail on Monday, he needed time to study it.

Though Jacob did not oppose the request by the defence that Turaki be remanded in the EFCC custody, Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, ordered that the former governor be remanded in Kuje Prisons till the next adjourned date of July 23.

Kalu was being charged with 107 offences, along with his mother, Eunice, and one Emeka Abone. Eunice and Abone are at large. Three of them allegedly laundrered about N3bn.

Kalu, who was all the while sitting at the lobby of the court under a heavily- armed security guard, was later brought to the courtroom.

Dressed in a blue suit with a light blue shirt and a brown tie to match, he was marched to the dock following which the charges were read to him.

It took about two hours and 20 minutes for the court clerk to finish reading them.

Kalu, who looked calm throughout the period, also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

His lead counsel, Mr. Livy Uzoukwu(SAN), asked for his bail but Jacob said he had just been served the application and would need some days to respond.

Murtala-Nyako, in her ruling, agreed and ordered the defence and prosecution to submit written briefs on the bail application.

The case was subsequently adjourned till July 25.

When Kalu returned to his seat after the adjournment, Turaki looked at him and said, ”My brother, you are strong.” Kalu laughed.

Earlier, the case involving former Plateau State Governor, Chief Joshua Dariye, was heard by Justice Babs Kuewumi.

Dariye, who is being accused of laundering about N1.2 billion, $110,000 and £20,000, was also refused bail.

His lawyer, Mr. Comrad Joseph(SAN), had argued that Dariye’s alleged offences were bailable and that, if convicted, he would only spend three years in prison.

The prosecutor, Mr. Joseph Uzor, however, said he needed time to study the application before reacting to it.

Uzor said, “This application is not due for hearing because we are entitled to fair hearing. This is because the accused came formally before the court, so we need time to react formally.”

Kuewumi, however, adjourned the case till Thursday.

Speaking with newsmen after the cases were heard, Jacob said the remanding of Turaki and Kalu in prison custody was a testimony that the war on corruption was total.

He also said that it showed that nobody was above the law.

Asked if the accounts of the former governors would be frozen, he said that the EFCC might approach the court for that.

He said, ”We must stamp out corruption in the country and what you have witnessed today is a testimony that nobody is above the law.”

Mr. Mike Ozekhome, who is on the defence team of Kalu, however, said there was nothing wrong in his client being remanded in prison custody.

Ozekhome said, “Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was there. Nelson Mandela of South Africa was also there for 27 years. He (Kalu) is in high spirits and good health. So, there is no problem.”

Kalu, who waved to his supporters at the end of the case, was like Turaki led into a waiting Peugeot Expert that took them to the prison.

There was, however, a mild drama outside the courtrooms as loyalists of Kalu and those opposed to him engaged themselves in a shouting match.

While his supporters, who carried different placards, claimed that he was ”an illustrious son of Abia State” who should be released, those opposed to his release said ”he should be imprisoned.”