A N36 billion corruption lawsuit against a former governor of Jigawa State, Saminu Turaki, was dismissed today by a Federal High Court sitting in Dutse, Jigawa State.
Hassan Dikko, the trial judge, dismissed the case due to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission’s (EFCC) lack of “diligent prosecution” .
Although the EFCC’s prosecution attorney was not present at the session today, the defense attorney, Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), sought the court to dismiss the case because it was scheduled for hearing but neither the prosecution attorney nor any witnesses were present.
He argued that today’s sitting was the sixth adjournment since the case was brought before the High Court in Dutse, and there was no reason given to the court by the prosecutor (the EFCC) for their non-appearance.
The judge then dismissed the case, freed the first defendant (Turaki), and ordered the prosecution (the EFCC) to take the appropriate action when they are prepared to continue the case.
Turaki, who governed Jigawa from 1999 to 2007, was initially charged with 32 counts of misappropriating N36 billion while in government by the EFCC before Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 13, 2007.
The case was moved to the Federal High Court in Dutse after he successfully contested the Federal High Court’s territorial jurisdiction to hear the case in Abuja in 2011.
Later, he was re-arrested on the same 32-count charge in the Dutse Division of the Federal High Court, but the trial was halted due to his absence from court after his arraignment until he was apprehended by the EFCC in Abuja in 2017.
After being re-arrested in 2021, the case has since had delays due to the prosecution missing all scheduled hearing dates.
