Alleged N36bn Fraud: Judgment acquitting Jigawa ex-Gov unfortunate — EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling of the Federal High Court, Dutse, striking out the money laundering charges against former governor of Jigawa State, Saminu Turaki. 

A Federal High Court sitting in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, had last Thursday discharged and acquitted Turaki, who served as Jigawa State governor between 1999 and 2007.

Delivering the judgment, the trial judge, Justice Hassan Dikko, cleared the accused and three other companies of all the 33-count charge bordering on N8.3 billion fraud filed against them by the EFCC.

The court also directed the EFCC to release the traveling documents of Turaki, which was seized during the trial.
  

He insisted that the judgment does not amount to an acquittal.

He said the clarification became imperative in view of widespread media reports purporting that the former governor had been discharged and acquitted of the charges preferred against him by the Commission.

According to him, Justice Dikko in striking out the case premised his decision on the absence of the EFCC prosecutor in court, stating that the Commission was at liberty to proceed with the case whenever it is ready. 

“Without prejudice to the decision by his Lordship, his position was not premised on the weight of the evidence by the prosecution or the lack of it. 

The substantive issues have not even been canvassed before his lordship,” Uwujaren stated. 

He observed that the EFCC considers the ruling another unfortunate hiatus in the 15 years trial and would certainly return to court to conclude the case. 

Uwujaren pointed out that most of the delays that hallmark the trial had been at the instance of the defendant.

He said: “Turaki was first arraigned alongside three companies before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court Abuja on 13 July, 2007.

“The case was transferred to the Federal High Court, Dutse, in 2011 after Turaki successfully challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court Abuja to entertain the case. 

“Then Turaki jumped bail and from 2011 till 2017, failed to appear in court until he was re-arrested in 2017. Since the trial resumed in 2018, the case had stalled largely on account of Turaki’s absence in court.

“It is however apposite to state that since Justice Dikko took over the trial in December 2021, the only time that the EFCC was not represented in Court was Thursday, October 13, 2022.

“At the last adjourned date, July 7, 2022, the Commission was in court with a witness but the defence objected to his testimony on the account that they had not been served with his statement.

“Consequently, the Commission asked for an adjournment and the court fixed October 12 and 13, 2022, for the continuation of trial.

“On October 12, 2022, the Commission was represented in court but could not present its witness who was ill and this was communicated to the court.

“Against this background, it is shocking that a case of such magnitude was dismissed.”