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Spokesman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Wilson Uwujaren, has confirmed the arrest of a former Governor of Jigawa, Sen. Saminu Turaki, by the anti-graft agency.
“What is there to confirm? It is true,” Uwujaren told a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent on phone.
A source in the commission had earlier told NAN that the former governor was arrested by EFCC operatives in Abuja on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the source, Turaki was picked up at the venue of the public presentation of a book on Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari, the first regular combatant officer in the Nigerian Army.
The ex-governor, who was in office between 1999 and 2007, was declared wanted by the agency in 2014 after allegedly failing to present himself for trial since 2011.
He faces a 36-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, stealing, money laundering and misappropriation of public funds before the Federal High Court in Dutse, his state capital.
The source added, “The court had issued a warrant directing the Inspector General of Police or his officers, and the EFCC to arrest Turaki and bring him before the court.
“Justice S. Yahuza gave the order after Turaki consistently failed to attend trial.
“But attempts to execute the warrant failed as Turaki remained elusive.”
“On May 19, 2016, operatives of the commission acting on a tip-off had stormed the 16 Denis Osadebey Street Asokoro, Abuja, home of the former governor but he slipped through their hands.”(NAN)
