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Agaju Madugba, Katsina
The trial of the immediate past Governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shehu Shema, began at a Katsina High Court on Tuesday as he pleaded not guilty to a 24-count charges brought against him and three others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Shema is standing trial alongside a former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Sani Makana, former state ALGON Chairman, Lawal Dankaba, and a former Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Governments, Lawal Rufai.
The charges against the accused persons border on criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy, fraud and forgery, said to involve a total of about N11 billion which, crimes covered in sections 96, 311, 363, 366 and 85 of the penal code, Cap 96, Laws of Katsina State 1991.
The trial Judge, Justice Ibrahim Bako, adjourned the matter to the 30th and 31st of May 2018 following failure of the the first prosecution witness, Ibrahim Dabo, to provide documentary report of a government committee which investigated activities of the 34 local government councils during Shema’s tenure.
The EFCC lead counsel, Chief Lateef Fagbemi and Shema’s counsel, Joseph Daudu, had agreed that the adjournment was necessary to enable the witness produce the required document.
Shema’s case began since 2016 following several petitions to the government of Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, alleging financial irregularities leading to the setting up of a judicial commission of inquiry which indicted Shema and the others.
The trial had suffered a temporary setback following Shema’s protest which questioned the jurisdiction of the Katsina High Court to try him, a development which dragged the matter as far as the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court eventually ruled last December that the Katsina High Court was competent to handle the matter.
