National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
Olabode Adaramola
A Minna High Court Judge, in Niger state , Hon. Justice Aliyu Mayaki , Tuesday, ordered that the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, in conjunction with his former Commissioner for Ministry of the Environment who was also a former Gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in the 2015 governorship elections, in the state , Hon. Umar Mohammed Nasko be remanded in the new Prisons custody in Minna , pending the ruling on bail application by the counsels to the two accused persons next Wednesday, 3rd May, 2017.
According to Justice Mayaki “the case is to be opened on June 12, 2017 and to be held day by day till 16th June and the ruling on bail is to be delivered on 3rd May, 2017. They are in the meantime , to be remanded in Medium Security prisons in Minna.”
Lead Counsel to the EFCC, Barr. Gbolahan Latona had levelled a 6-count charge on the embattled former governor Babangida Aliyu as the 1st defendant and Umar Mohammed Nasko as the 2nd defendant.
When the charges were read to them (Dr. Aliyu and Nasko) by Justice Mayaki, they both pleaded not guilty to the charges .
They pleaded not guilty to the 6-count charge levelled against them by the anti-graft agency, bothering on misappropriation of N4,568,680,600 belonging to Niger state.
According to the EFCC Counsel “the 6_count charges levelled on the defendants are that “Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (former Governor of Niger state as Governor and Umar Nasko (as Commissioner for Ministry of the Environment between 1st January, 2011 and 31st May, 2011 conspired within yourselves to commit an illegal act to wit; criminal breach of trust and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.
“Count two, that you, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu between 1st January and 31st May, 2011 dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N520,348,000 which was withdrawn from Niger state Government House Security Account number 1012424374 domiciled in (a new generation bank)Zenith Bank Plc and you thereby committed the offence contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code punishable under section 312 of the same code.
“Count three, that you, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu some time between 1st January and 31st December 2011 dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N1,725,837,000 which was withdrawn from Niger state Government House Security Account number 1012424374 domociled in Zenith Bank Plc and you thereby committed the offence contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code punishable under section 312 of the same code.
“Count four, that Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu as Governor and Umar Nasko (as Commissioner for Ministry Environment/Chief of Staff) between 7th April and 7th December, 2015 while being entrusted with dominion over money belonging to Niger state government dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N1,090,000,000 which formed part of the proceeds of the sale of 16 percent shares of Niger state in North South Power company Limited and you thereby committed the offence contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code punishable under section 312 of the same code.
“Count five, that you, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu as Governor and Umar Nasko (as Commissioner for Ministry Environment/Chief of Staff) between 7th May and 30th December, 2014 dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N800,000,000 which sum forms part of the Ecological Funds meant for Environmental/Ecological consultancy Project by the Niger state Ministry of Environment for Zone B of Niger state and you thereby committed the offence contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code punishable under section 312 of the same code.”
He continued with Count Six, “that you Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu as Governor and Umar Nasko (as Commissioner for Ministry Environment/Chief of Staff) between May and 30th December, 2014 dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N432,495,600 which sum forms part of the Ecological Funds meant for Environmental/Ecological consultancy Project by the Niger state Ministry of Environment for Zone B of Niger state and you thereby committed the offence contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code punishable under section 312 of the same code.
Meanwhile, the accused persons, (Babangida Aliyu and Umar Nasko) were ushered into the court room at about 8.40am by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) led by the commission’s lead counsel, Gbolahan Latona and three other lawyers.
The court however stood down the case for 30 minutes at the start of the case to enable counsels of the parties involved in the case compare notes on oral application made by EFCC to amend its original charges.
On resumption of proceedings, the legal teams to the first and second accused persons, Ayodele Oladeji and Mamman Mike Osuman did not object to the amended charges.
