The on-going trial of a former governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Usman Sa’idu Dakingari who is standing trial for alleged fraudulent receipt of proceeds of crime amounting to N450 million has suffered another set back following its adjournment till October 26.
This latest adjournment is as a result of the absence of the trial judge, Honourable Justice Sunday Bassey Onu, in Court on Wednesday, October 7.
The erstwhile governor of Kebbi State, Dakingari is standing trial alongside two others. The two others are Sunday Dogonyaro and Garba Rabiu Kamba.
The trio are being arraigned for reportedly receiving the proceeds of crime totaling about N450 Million from the immediate past minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke.
The N450million cash was allegedly meant as logistical funds from the public till to influence the 2015 general election. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) said the subject matter of the day, which could not hold because if the adjournment of the case, was for a continuation of cross-examination of Prosecution Witness Four (PW4), Olabode Moses, who is an officer of the EFCC.
The EFCC in a press statement signed by its Spokesperson, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, said that it was only upon the Commission’s team’s arrival at the Kebbi state capital, Birnin Kebbi, on Wednesday, October 7, preparatory for the day’s court proceedings that they were informed via ” a text message from the court bailiff at 3:09pm that the court would not sit today, and that the matter has been adjourned till October 26, 2020”.
Recall that Dakingari and the two others trial which began more than two years ago had earlier been adjourned previously in the past. For instance on June 29, 2020 , the case was adjourned following the absence of Dakingari’s counsel in court and another accused person’s cou\unsel as well.
Recall also that the EFCC is arraigning the former governor of Kebbi, Dakingari, alongside two others before Justice Onu of the Federal High Court sitting in Kebbi over alleged fraudulent activities and receipt of proceeds from crime.
The New Diplomat’s checks indicate that Dakingari and others were first arraigned on a 13-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering to the tune N450 million only.
The former governor was arraigned along with Sunday Dogonyaro and Garba Rabiu Kamba for allegedly “conniving to collect N450 million being part of a $115 million allegedly shared by the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deizani Alison-Madueke for the purpose of influencing the 2015 general election”
One of the charges reads that: “Usman Saidu Dakingari on or about the 27th March 2015 at Kebbi within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court made a cash payment of the sum of N49,640,000 (Forty Nine Million, Six Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira) only to Alhaji Haruna Haruna without transacting through a financial institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act”.
The former governor and other defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges respectively
