An FCT High Court on Thursday adjourned until March 6 for counsel to former Finance Minister of State, Bashir Yuguda’s to cross-examine an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) witness.
Yuguda, ex-National Security Adviser (NSA), Rtd Col. Sambo Dasuki and three others are charged with 25 counts bordering on alleged N23.3 billion fraud by the EFCC.
Others charged are former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, his son, Sagir and their company, Dalhatu Investment Limited
Justice Yusuf Halilu fixed the date with the consensus of all the counsel in the matter after the prosecuting counsel Mr Oluwaleke Atolegbe. prayed the court for an adjournment because his witness, Mr Aliyu Mukadas a staff member of the Central Bank was not in court.
Mukadas who is the first EFCC witness (PW1) testified on Nov. 17.
He said that the witness was to be cross-examined by the defendant’s counsel.
There were no objections from counsel in the matter.
The witness in his testimony on that day told the court how N4.6 billion in the account of the office of the ONSA was moved to Dalhatu Investment.
EFCC had arraigned the defendants first before Justice Peter Affen, now of the Court of Appeal, on Dec. 24, 2015.
The matter was later transferred to Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, now the FCT Chief Judge in October 2016.
The case could not take off since it was first brought to court largely due to the detention of the former NSA by the Department of State Service (DSS).
On May,24, 2022, the defendants were re-arraigned before Justice Yusuf Halilu on an amended 25-count -charge bordering on misappropriation, criminal breach of trust and receiving stolen property.
They all, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
