The Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
\nEFCC, has re-arraigned Haruna Baba Jauro, a former acting
\nDirector-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety
\nAgency, NIMASA, Dr. Dauda Bitrus Bawa and a company, Thlumbau
\nEnterprises Limited, before Justice C.A. Obiozor of the Federal High
\nCourt sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a 19-count charge bordering on stealing
\nand money laundering to the tune of N304, 118, 500( Three Hundred and
\nFour Million One Hundred and Eighteen Thousand Five Hundred Naira).<\/p>\n
The defendants were first arraigned on April 12, 2016 before retired
\nJustice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the proceedings, today, counsel to the defendants, Olalekan
\nOjo, SAN, told the court that the third defendant, Thlumbau Enterprises
\nLtd., had written a letter dated November 6, 2020, notifying the court
\nof the appointment of one Baba Haruna Salome, who is its Secretary, as
\nits representative in the trial in accordance with Section 478 of the
\nAdministration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.<\/p>\n
Ojo also told the court of another letter by Salome dated November 6,
\n2020 and filed on November 9, 2020.<\/p>\n
According to him, “The purpose of the letter is to enable the aforesaid
\nrepresentative of the third defendant to communicate to the court the
\nthird defendant’s plea of not guilty to the charge preferred against
\nit.”<\/p>\n
He further told the court that he was in receipt of the copies of the
\nletters and that the original copies had been lodged with the Court’s
\nRegistrar.<\/p>\n
Thereafter, the Judge ordered the defendants to take their pleas.<\/p>\n
One of the counts reads: “That you, Haruna Baba Jauro, Dr Dauda Bitrus
\nBawa and Thlumbau Enterprises Ltd., on or about the 6th day of January
\n2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did
\nconspire among yourselves to commit an offence to wit: conversion of the
\nsums of N156, 477,500(One Hundred and Fifty- six Million, Four Hundred
\nand Seventy- seven Thousand, Five Hundred Naira), the property of the
\nNigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, knowing that the
\nsaid sums were proceeds of stealing, and thereby committed an offence
\ncontrary to Section 18( a)\u00a0 of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) (
\nAmendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”<\/p>\n
Another count reads: “That you, Haruna Baba Jauro,\u00a0 Dr. Dauda Bitrus
\nBawa and Thlumbau Enterprises Ltd., on or about the 6th day of January
\n2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did
\nconspire among yourselves to commit an offence to wit: conversion of the
\nsums of N15,000,000.00( Fifteen Million Naira), the property of the
\nNigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, knowing that the
\nsaid sums were proceeds of stealing, and thereby committed an offence
\ncontrary to Section 15 ( 1) Money Laundering ( Prohibition) ( Amendment)
\nAct 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”<\/p>\n
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to
\nthem.<\/p>\n
In view of their pleas of not guilty, the prosecution counsel, U.U.
\nBuhari, asked the court for a trial date and to remand the defendants in
\nthe Nigerian Correctional Service Custodial Centre<\/p>\n
The defence counsel, in his response, appealed to the Judge to allow the
\ndefendants to continue to enjoy the bail previously granted by Justice
\nOlatoregun pending the commencement of trial.<\/p>\n
“My Lord, the defendants will continue to attend the trial, even if it
\nwill last more than one day because we really want to put the matter
\nbehind us.”<\/p>\n
After listening to both parties, Justice Obiozor held that the
\n“defendants shall continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted them on the
\nsame terms.”<\/p>\n
The case was adjourned till March 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 29, and
\nApril 6, 2021 for commencement of trial.<\/p>\n
The Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has re-arraigned Haruna Baba Jauro, a former acting Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":75336,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-news"],"yoast_head":"\n