Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court, sitting in Kano, the Kano State capital on Tuesday, July 2, 2019 adjourned the case involving the former governor of the state, Ibrahim Shekarau and two others to September 20, 2019 for ruling on the no-case submission, filed by the defendants.
Shekarau is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, alongside Ambassador Aminu Bashir Wali and Mansur Ahmed for allegedly collecting the sum N950,000,000 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) only from the former minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke for the purpose of influencing the 2015 general elections.
The defendants were first arraigned by the Commission on the May 24, 2018 on a six-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering. Upon arraignment, they pleaded not guilty, thereby setting up the stage for trial.
During the course of trial, the prosecution called four witnesses and closed its case on May 8, 2019. Subsequently, the defendants through their counsels informed the court of their intention to file a no-case submission and the matter was adjourned to Tuesday, July 2, 2019.
At the resumed hearing today, counsel to Shekarau, the first defendant moved his no-case submission and adopted same as his argument. He subsequently urged the court to discharge his client.
Prosecution counsel, Musa Isah informed the court that the prosecution had responded to the application of no-case submission filed by the first defendant with a written address and further said that he was adopting same as his argument. Isah urged the court to discountenance the no-case submission and dismiss same.
Counsel to the second and third defendants, S.T Ologunorisa SAN also moved a no-case submission and written address on behalf of his clients.
Ologunorisa adopted the written address as his argument and urged the court to discharge the second and third defendants.
In his response, the prosecution counsel again told the court that he has responded to the no-case submission filed by the second and third defendants with written address and adopted same as his argument.
Justice Allagoa adjourned the matter to September 20, 2019 for ruling.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
July 2, 2019
