N29bn alleged fraud: Enter your defence, court tells Ex-Adamawa gov, Murtala Nyako, others

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, ordered a former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako to enter his defence in the alleged N29 billion fraud preferred against him by the Federal Government.

The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, in a ruling yesterday, dismissed the no-case submission filed by the former governor and his codefendants.

The defendants had, in their no-case submission, urged the court to strike out the alleged N29 billion money laundering charges filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The anti-graft agency is prosecuting the former governor alongside his son, Abdul-Aziz Nyako; two companies, Sebore Farms and Extension Ltd and Pagado Fortunes Ltd.

Other defendants are Zulkifik Abba, Abubakar Aliyu, Blue Opal Ltd, Tower Assets Management Ltd and Crust Energy Ltd as third, fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth defendants respectively.

Nyako, in the no-case submission filed through his lawyer, Ibrahim Isiaka, argued that the anti-graft agency failed to establish a prima facie case against him.

Isiaka argued that for the charge of money laundering pressed against his client to succeed, the prosecution must show that the funds laundered are proceeds of an illegal act and urged the court to uphold the no-case submission and dismiss the charge against the defendants.

The prosecuting counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, in his submissions, urged the court to discountenance the no-case submission and compel the defendants to enter into defence.

After listening to submissions of counsel in the matter, Justice Abang said that he had painstakingly perused the evidence given by the 21 witnesses called by the prosecution and was of the view that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the defendants to warrant them entering their defence in the 37-count charge, bordering on criminal conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money laundering, to the tune of N29 billion.

“I have carefully considered the legal arguments of all the counsel for the defendants, their written and oral arguments and the argument of the prosecution in this ruling.

“It is my humble but firm view that the prosecution has established a prima facie case against the defendants and they are required to enter their defence immediately,” the judge said and held that the no-case submission filed by the defendants lacked merit and he accordingly dismissed it.

He adjourned the matter till October 4, 5, 7 and 8 for the defendants to open their case.

Nyako and his codefendants however pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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