Relisting of N2b Fraud Case:  Ex-Gov Aliyu to know fate, Oct 27

The Federal High Court, Minna, Niger State, on Tuesday, October 13, 2020, adjourned ruling till October 27, 2020, on a motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for the relisting of the criminal matter, involving former Niger State governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu and Umar Nasko.

The Commission is prosecuting the duo of Babangida and Nasko, first and second defendants, respectively, before Justice A.B. Aliyu of the Federal High Court, Minna, Niger State, on amended three-count charge of breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of over N2 billion, which the court struck out on June 19, 2020.

Prosecution counsel, Faruk Abdullahi, had filed a motion on notice for the setting aside of the order made by the court on June  19, 2020, striking out the case with charge number: FHC/ABJ/CR/71/2017- Federal Republic of Nigeria V. Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu & anor (another), as well as an order, for the relisting of charge number: FHC/ABJ/CR/71/2017- Federal Republic of Nigeria V. Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu & anor (another), which was struck out on June 19, 2020, for want of diligent prosecution and other orders as the court “may deem fit to make” in the circumstance of the case.

Abdullahi supported the application with 21 paragraphs affidavit, deposed to by one Samuel Chime, adding, “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.”

Counsel to Aliyu, Musa Sulaiman, who represented Olajide Ayodele, SAN, objected to the application on the ground that it was not served to all the parties, so also Nasko’s counsel, Iloh Bekeme Asuelemeh, who equally represented Mamman Mike Osman, SAN. Osman who prayed the court to set aside the application, noted that the defence has filed a 33 paragraph counter-affidavit, deposed to by John Kyrian Etuk, and was documented as exhibit QJ1-QJ6, which he said has also been adopted as the written address of the defence.

Justice A. B Aliyu adjourned the case till October 27, 2020, for ruling on the prosecution’s application.