A Federal High Court in Birnin-Kebbi on Thursday remanded the former Kebbi state governor, Alhaji Usman Dakingari and two others in the custody of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Birnin Kebbi pending the determination of their bail application on December, 10 2018.
Dakingari and two others, namely Sunday Dogoyaro and Garba Kamba, are standing trial on a 13-count charge levelled against them by the EFCC on alleged conspiracy and money laundering.
The presiding judge, Justice Basse Onu, on Thursday ordered their remand over their alleged involvement in the N450million, part of the $115million dollars collected from the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deizani Alison-Madueke which is contrary to Section 1A of Money Laundering Act 2015 punishable under section 16(2B) among others.
The lead counsel to the EFCC, J.A Ojogbane, in his submission urged the court to take their pleas as the charges were read to them. He told the court that they are ready for the trial along with their witnesses.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges as the prosecutor’s lead counsel asked the court to commence their trial immediately.
Counsel to Dakingari, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) while applying for the bail told the court that his client was the former Governor of Kebbi state without record of criminal cases.
He argued that he would not jumped bail if granted bail. The counsels to the 1st and 2nd defendants also pleaded with the court to grant them bail based on their recognition.
Responding to the defence counsel’s bail application, Ojogbane stressed that the anti- graft agency has remands facilities in Birnin-Kebbi and Sokoto state where the defendants could be remanded before the adjourned date.
While ruling on their bail application, Justice Onu order that the three defendants be remanded in Birnin-Kebbi remand facilities of EFCC pending the final ruling on their bail application on December 10, 2018.
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