Former Niger Governor, Aliyu, Remanded In Prison Custody

BEVERLY HILLS, April 25, (THEWILL) – Justice Mohammed Mayaki of the Niger State High Court has ruled that former Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, be remanded in prison custody until May 3 .

Mayaki also ordered that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2015 election, Umar Nasko, also be remanded in the Minna Medium Security Prisons.

THEWILL had reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filled charges against the duo over an alleged N3bn fraud. 

According to the EFCC, Aliyu allegedly diverted N520m from the Niger State Government Security Account domiciled in Zenith Bank account between January and March 2011 and also allegedly diverted a separate N1.7bn from the same account within the same period.

The EFCC added that the duo, in 2015, allegedly diverted about N1.09bn, which was 16 per cent shares of Niger State in the North South Power Company Limited.

The decision to keep them in prison was taken after six hours of fierce exchange by Counsel of the EFCC, Gbolahan Latona and counsels to Aliyu and Nasko, Ayodele Oladeji and Mamman Mike Osuman as the two politicians were on Tuesday docked by the EFCC.

The duo pleaded not guilty to the charges read to them.

“The case is to be opened on June 12, 2017 and to be held day by day till 16th June and the ruling on bail is to be delivered on 3rd May, 2017 . They are to be remanded in Medium Security prisons in Minna,” Justice Maiyaki ruled.