PDP campaign fund: Court remands ex-Gov Dakingari, 2 others in EFCC custody

The Federal High Court, in Birnin-Kebbi, on Thursday, ordered that former Gov. Saadu Dakingari and two others be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), pending ruling in their bail application on Dec. 10.

The EFCC charged Dakingari, one Sunday Dogonyaro and a diplomat Garba Kamba with13 counts bordering on alleged conspiracy and money laundering.

They were alleged to have committed money laundry of N450 million, part of $115 million and 115 million dollars collected from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deizani Alison-Madueke contrary to section 1A of Money Laundry Act 2015 punishable under section 16(2B) among other.

Justice Basse Onu, ordered that thethree defendants be remanded in the EFCC Birnin-Kebbi facility and adjourned the case for ruling and trial untill Dec. 10.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts charge as the lead Counsel to the EFCC, Johnson Ojogbane, prayed the court to begin immediate trial.

But counsel to Dakingari, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) prayed the court to grant his client bail, saying “my client was the former Governor of Kebbi without record of criminal cases argued that he would not jumped bail if granted”.

Also, counsel Dogonyaro, Mr O. A Dada, prayed the court to admit his client to bail, saying that his client would not dishonour the Court.

In his prayer, counsel to Kamba, Ahmed Fingilla, argued that his client has represented Nigeria in many countries as a Diplomat with track record without blemish .

He said that his client was the first to honour the EFCC invitation in their Kano office.

NAN reports that Dakingari is arraigned arraigned along with Dogonyaro and Kamba for allegedly conniving to collect the sum of N450 million (Four Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) only part of the $115 million (One Hundred and Fifteen Million Dollars) allegedly “shared” by the a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deizani Alison-Madueke for the purpose of influencing the 2015 general election.