EFCC vs Shema: Court adjourns sitting to Feb 18

A Katsina state High Court has adjourn to February 18, for continuation of ‘Trial within Trial’ in the ongoing case brought before it by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former governor of the state Ibrahim Shema.

The presiding Judge, Justice Maikata Bako, adjourned till next month following the request of the defence counsels to provide more witnesses in the trial.

Daily Trust reports that the Trial within Trial came about as the 4th defendant, Ibrahim Dankaba, in the case alleged that his statements as being tendered before the court as evidence by the EFCC were obtained under duress.

At the resumed sitting today, the court ruled that Dankaba’s counsel, Barr. Aliyu Ahmed, can serve as witness in the matter for Dankaba to prove that his statements were indeed obtained under duress.

Ahmed told the court that he was denied access to his client during interrogation at the EFCC thereby denying his fundamental human rights saying that “for the three periods of his visits and statements, I was denied access to him”.

During cross examination by EFCC counsel, Ufom Eket, Ahmed however admitted that he did not a write a complaint to that effect.

Thereafter, Justice Bako adjourned the matter to February 18 to enable the defence counsels produce more evidences in the matter.

I will be recalled that the EFCC had dragged Shema alongside four others namely, Sani Makana, Lawal Rufai and Ibrahim Dankaba over alleged diversion of about N11billion belonging to the local governments in the state.‎