Court orders ex-Gov Aliyu, two others to face trial

Justice Mikail Abdullahi of the Niger State High Court on Tuesday dismissed for lack of merit, the application brought by Tanko Beji, seeking to strike out the N2 billion alleged money laundering case involving former Niger State governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu and his chief of staff, Umar Nasko.

Beji is the third defendant in the case and chairman, Niger State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He had on Wednesday, October 14, 2020, filed an application seeking the striking out of the case for lack of merit, as well as an order of the court to set aside his September 14, 2020 re-arraignment alongside the first and second defendants following the relisting of the case in court.

READ ALSO: Ex-gov Aliyu, Nasko face fresh trial for alleged N2bn fraud

Prosecution counsel, Faruk Abdalla countered the application with a six-paragraph affidavit, deposed to by an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) staff, Hadiza Afegbua upon which he urged the court to dismiss the application.

He further urged the court to uphold as valid, the re-arraignment of the defendant, alongside his co-defendants on September 14, 2020.

When the matter came up on Tuesday, Justice Mikail sacked the defendant’s application and adjourned the matter till December 16 and 17, 2020 for hearing.

The trio is facing prosecution by the EFCC on an amended seven-count charge of money laundering and criminal breach of trust to the tune of over N2 billion.

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