The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has approached the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, seeking the transfer of the N950m fraud case involving a former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekerau.
The EFCC said in a statement by its spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, that the move had become imperative due to the commotion and demonstrations that greeted his arraignment recently.
The statement read in part, “Following the commotion that attended the arraignment of a former Governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, at the Federal High Court Kano, the EFCC has approached the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to transfer the matter to another jurisdiction of the court.
“Counsel for the EFCC, Johnson Ojogbane, disclosed this at the resumed hearing of the case.”
Ojogbane informed the court that the prosecution had applied to the Chief Judge for the matter to be transferred to another jurisdiction.
The defendants also, through their counsel, told the court that they had responded to the prosecution application, urging the Chief Judge to refuse the application of the prosecution and allow the trial to continue in Kano.
Both parties are now waiting for the decision of the Chief Judge.
Consequently, the prosecution counsel requested for an adjournment pending the Chief Judge’s decision to either transfer or allow the matter to continue in Kano.
Justice Abubakar granted the prayer of the prosecution and adjourned the matter till October 18 for hearing in the event the application for transfer is refused.
However, if the Chief Judge grants the application, the case would start de novo in another jurisdiction.
Shekarau was arraigned alongside two others, Aminu Bashir Wali, and Mansur Ahmed, before Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar of the Federal High Court sitting in Kano on May 24, 2018, on six counts of conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of N950m.
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