High profile corruption trial: How Shekarau got caught in N905m Diezani’s slush fund

A former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, opened defence on the 18th and 19th November 2019, for the continuation of his trial in the ongoing alleged money laundering case filed against him and other accused persons by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The EFCC arraigned Shekarau in May 2018 before the Federal High Court sitting in Kano together with Bashir Wali and Mansur Ahmad on six counts bordering on conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of N950million.

Counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Johnson Ojoghame, told the court that the defendants had, between March 26 and 27, 2015, in Kano, conspired between themselves and received various sums of money without going through financial institutions.

He told the court that the money was issued out to the defendants by the Peoples Democratic Party and former petroleum minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act and Section 15(1) of Money Laundering Act.

The trio had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Judge, Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100m each with two reliable sureties in like sum.

Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar of the Federal High Court sitting in Kano on June 12, 2018, had refused an application by a former governor of Kano State Malam Ibrahim Shekarau for the release of his international passport to enable him travel to Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj.

Shekarau approached the court with a motion on notice dated 28 May, 2018, praying the court to direct its Deputy Chief Registrar to release his international passport to enable him travel to Saudi Arabia from May 30 to June 23, 2018 for lesser hajj.

In response to the motion, counsel for the respondent, Johnson Ojogbane, filed a nine paragraph counter affidavit opposing the motion.

Meanwhile, Shekarau, on September 4, 2018, announced his final defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressive Congress (APC).

The Federal High Court in Kano on Monday November 20, 2018, turned down a request by the EFCC’s to move the fraud case from Kano State to Abuja for security reasons.

The request was made by the EFCC but Shekarau, through his lawyer, Sam Ologunorisa (SAN), opposed it, insisting that he wanted to be tried in Kano State.

The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, J.A. Ojogbane, had told the court that his life and those of three prosecution witnesses were being threatened by Shekarau’s supporters, adding that they did not feel safe.

He said, for instance, mayhem broke out on the court premises between Shekarau’s supporters and security men on the day that the ex-governor was arraigned.

He said operatives of the EFCC narrowly escaped being lynched in the mayhem and were held hostage in their office till about 8pm on that day.

Ojogbane said his witnesses had developed cold feet as they feared that they would be attacked in Kano by Shekarau’s supporters. He begged the judge to transfer the case out of Kano State to Abuja.

He said: “Considering the traumatic experience we went through during the arraignment, and the series of threats we have received so far, the prosecution is very apprehensive.”

Shekarau alongside former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali and Campaign Director of erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan, Mansur Ahmed in July 2019, filed a no case submission in the alleged N950 million fraud suit.

On Monday September 23rd, 2019, Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court Kano struck out the ‘no case submission’ filed by Ibrahim Shekarau, and other accused persons in the corruption case against them.

The court also ordered the accused persons to submit their international passports and other relevant documents before the next court date.

At the last appearance, the accused persons filed a no case submission against the prosecution and insisted that there was no ground to open any defence on the allegations level against them.

In his ruling, however, Justice Allagoa maintained that the prosecution has proven beyond any known doubt to substantiate its allegations, leaving ample ground for the applicants to open defence.

The defendants are later opened their defence on November 18 and 19, 2019.

[This Publication includes part of a compendium by Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) covering corruption cases as at 22nd of November, 2019.]