Embattled former Jigawa State governor Saminu Turaki on Thursday regained his freedom from Kuje prison after the vacation judge of the Federal High Court Abuja Justice Nnamdi Dimgba varied the bail conditions granted to him on July 18, 2017.

Family members and associates of the former governor were unable to meet the N500m bail bond and two sureties one of the rank of a director in the civil service granted to the defendant who is standing trial on 32-count charge for misappropriating N36 billion while he was in office.

Justice Dimgba while granting the variation in the bail term said Turaki lawyer application is granted as prayed. Turaki was later in the afternoon released from Kuje prison to the Maganin Garin Sokoto, Hassan Danbaba, and another close associates.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on July 18, 2017 re-arraigned Saminu Turaki on afresh 32 count charge before Justice Dimgba following the defendant re-arrest on July 4. He was accused of laundering over N2bn and 20m United States dollars with three companies , INC Natural Resources Ltd, Arkel Construction Ltd and Wildcat Construction Ltd while he was governor of Jigawa State.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read by the court clerk and the judge entered pleads of not guilty for the three companies that were not represented in court. Justice Dimgba later admitted Turaki to bail in the sum of N500m with two sureties of N250m each .

One of the sureties should be a businessman and the other a civil servant of the rank of Director. Both sureties must have a landed property in Abuja. The sureties must provide their evidence of tax payment issued by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS),before the court registrar.

Also as part of the conditions, the defendant must deposit his traveling documents with the court’s registrar and report to the headquarters of the EFCC every first working day of every month until the ruled otherwise.

Justice Dimgba had further ordered that the defendant should be remanded in Kuje prison if he failed to perfect the bail conditions within 24 hours. With the consent of counsel, the judge adjourned the trial to Sept. 19, 2017 in line with the originally adjourned date by the Federal High Court, Duste Division.

Source: Andrew Orolua
The Daily Time News