Justice
Yalim S. Bogoro of a Federal High Court, sitting in Minna, Niger State,
has adjourned the trial of a former governor of the state, Babangida
Aliyu, to April 15, 2019.
Aliyu,
fondly referred to as “Chief Servant” is standing trial along with his
then Chief of Staff, Umar Nasko. They are being prosecuted by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, for their alleged involvement in the laundering of the state's
Ecological Fund to the tune of N2 billion, released by the
Federal Government in 2014.
Prosecuting
counsel, J.S. Okutepa, SAN, on March 6, 2019 brought before the Court
an application seeking for adjournment, noting that he needed time to
sit with the investigation officers,
who at the moment were on election duties.
He
said: “We apply for exhibit, which is huge because we just came into
the matter, and I was told that the application for the exhibit tendered
had to be approved by his lordship, who
is no longer here but comes to sit in this matter.
“It
is this morning that they told me that the application has been
approved. The exhibit is not something that I will just sit down, hear
it and say I am ready to go on with it without
reading it because what is worth doing [at all] is worth doing well.
“Some
of my witnesses are not around because they are concerned about
electoral matters. So those are the reasons why we apply for a new
date.”
Counsel for the first defendant, Olajide Ayodele, SAN, raised no objections to the application.
Counsel for the second defendant, Mamman Osuman, SAN, also raised no objections.
Justice Bogoro, thereafter, adjourned for “continuation of hearing”
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