Justice A.B Aliyu of the Federal High Court, Minna, Niger State, on
Tuesday, October 27, 2020, relisted the N2billion fraud case involving
the former governor of Niger State Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu and his
former Chief of Staff, Umar Gado Nasko for retrial, thus setting the
stage for their fresh trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is prosecuting Aliyu
and Nasko, (first and second defendants respectively) on three-count
amended charge of breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of
N2billion, which was struck out on June 19, 2020.
Following the abrupt termination of the case, prosecution counsel, Faruk
Abdalla, on October 13, 2020 filed a motion to set aside the June 19,
2020 ruling as well as an order for the relisting of the charge.
Abdalla supported the application with a 21-paragraph affidavit, deposed
to by Samuel Chime, stating that, “We rely on all the paragraphs; we
also file a written address in support, we adopt the written address as
our oral submission and we pray the court to grant our prayers in the
motion papers.”
Mamman Mike Osman, SAN, counsel to Nasko, who was represented by Iloh
Bekeme Asuelemeh, while speaking on behalf of the defence team prayed
the court to set aside the application, noting that the defence had
filed a 33 paragraph counter-affidavit, deposed to by John Kyrian Etuk,
and documented as exhibit QJ1-QJ6, which he said had been adopted as the
written address of the defence.
Justice Aliyu slated October 27, 2020 for ruling on the matter.
While ruling in favour of the prosecution today, the judge reinstated
the bail granted to the defendants and adjourned the matter till
November 23 and 24, 2020, for trial.