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The ex-governor and Umar Nasko, his former chief of staff, were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on eight counts of money laundering before Nnamdi Dimgba, a judge, in 2017.
They were accused of diverting N1.9 billion ecological fund which the state received from the federal government in 2014.
The case was, however, transferred to Bogoro after the defendants made an application, insisting that the case be transferred to Niger where the offences were alleged to have been committed.
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However, Abdu-Kafarati, the then chief judge of the federal high court, withdrew the case file from Bogoro and reassigned it Aliyu Bappa based on a petition by EFCC.
By Taiye Agbaje
Abuja, Jan. 18, 2020 The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, ordered the resumption of trial in the N1.9 billion money laundering charge against former Governor of Niger, Babangida Aliyu.
Delivering judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo, dismissed an administrative directive that okayed the trial of Aliyu, which started in 2017, to start de-novo (fresh).
Naija247news reports that the ex-governor is facing an eight count money laundering charge alongside his former Chief of Staff and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Umar Nasko, filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ekwo held that former Chief Judge (CJ) of the Court, Justice Abdul Abdul-Kafarati, acted in breach of Section 98(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, when he re-assigned the case-file to a new judge for a fresh trial, after EFCC had called 10 witnesses in the matter and tendered several exhibits in evidence.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the resumption of proceedings in the money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, entered against former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu. The court, in a judgment that was delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, quashed an administrative directive that okayed the
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, ordered the resumption of trial in the N1.9 billion money laundering charge against former Governor of Niger, Babangida Aliyu.