BY Juliana MAIRIGA, Minna
A Minna High Court Judge, Justice Aliyu Mayaki has ordered that former Governor of Niger state, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu together with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in the 2015 governorship elections, Umar Mohammed Nasko be kept in Prison until a ruling on bail application on May 3rd, 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 to be remanded in Medium Security prisons in Minna.”
Lead Counsel to the EFCC, Gbolahan Latona had leveled a Six count charge on Dr Muazu 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 pleaded not guilty.
They pleaded not guilty of a six count charge leveled against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) bothering on misappropriation of N4, 568,680,600 belonging to Niger state.
According to the EFCC Counsel “the Six count charges leveled on the defendants are that “Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (former Governor of Niger state as Governor and Umar Nasko (as Commissioner for Ministry Environment/Chief of Staff) 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.
Babangida and 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, Gbolahon Latona and three other lawyers.
The court however stood down 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.
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