Ex-Gov Babangida Aliyu remanded in prison
Former governor of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, a
commissioner under his administration, Umar Nasko, who also served as
his Chief of Staff, have been remanded in Minna Minimum Prison by
Justice Maiyaki Aliyu of the Minna High Court.
They are facing charges of corruption and fraud amounting to N3 billon.
Babangida and Nasko were ushered into the courtroom at about 8.40am by
operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) led
by the commission’s lead counsel, Mr. Gbolahon Latona and three other
lawyers.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them by the trial judge, Justice Mayaki Aliyu.
The court however stood down for 30 minutes at the start of the case to
enable counsel to the parties involved in the case compare notes on
oral applications made by the EFCC to amend its original charges.
Upon resumption of proceedings, the legal teams to the first and
second accused persons, Mr. Ayodele Oladeji and Mr. Mamman Mike Osuman,
did not object to the amended charges.
In the first count charge, Aliyu and Umar were accused of committing
illegal act and criminal breach of trust in 2015 contrary to Section 97
of the criminal code.
The second count was on the withdrawal of the sum of N540 million from a
Zenith Bank account No.1012424374 for personal use, contrary to Section
111 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 104 of the Penal
Code. This was for the former governor alone.
Also, the former governor was alone in the third count charge of
dishonestly converting to personal use, over N1.725 billion belonging
to the state government from Zenith Bank, contrary to Section 311 of
the Penal Code and punishable under Section 304.
However, the fourth count charge of dishonestly converting to personal
use the proceeds from the sale of Niger government shares in the
power plant amounting to N1.900 billion involved both accused persons
while the fifth and sixth counts bothered on using Ecological Funds of
N800 million and another amount of N432 million.
Aliyu was then ordered to be remanded in Minna Prison till May 3, 2017
when the ruling for the bail application will be delivered.-The Authority
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