Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court, sitting in Kano, the Kano State capital on Tuesday adjourned the case involving the former governor of the state, Ibrahim Shekarau, and two others to September 20, 2019, for a ruling on the no-case submission filed by the defendants.
Mr Shekarau is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) alongside Aminu Wali and Mansur Ahmed for allegedly collecting N950 million from the former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, for the purpose of influencing the 2015 general elections.
The defendants were first arraigned by the commission on May 24, 2018, on a six-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering. Upon arraignment, they pleaded not guilty, thereby setting up the stage for trial.
During the course of trial, the prosecution called four witnesses and closed its case on May 8, 2019. Subsequently, the defendants through their counsels informed the court of their intention to file a no-case submission and the matter was adjourned to Tuesday, July 2, 2019.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, counsel to Mr Shekarau moved his no-case submission and adopted the same as his argument. He subsequently urged the court to discharge his client.
The prosecution counsel, Musa Isah, informed the court that the prosecution had responded to the application of no-case submission filed by the first defendant with a written address and further said that he was adopting same as his argument. Mr Isah urged the court to discountenance the no-case submission and dismiss the same.
The counsel to the second and third defendants, S.T Ologunorisa, also moved a no-case submission and written address on behalf of his clients.
Mr Ologunorisa adopted the written address as his argument and urged the court to discharge the second and third defendants.
In his response, the prosecution counsel again told the court that he has responded to the no-case submission filed by the second and third defendants with written address and adopted the same as his argument.
Justice Allagoa adjourned the matter to September 20, 2019, for ruling.
