Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been dragged to a Federal High Court, Abuja following pre-election evidences that he ought not to stand for election over his involvement in a series of corrupt matters relating to billions of dollars looted by Nigeria’s late military dictator, General Sani Abacha.
The suit HHC/ABJ/CS/312/2015, filed against the serving governor at the Federal High Court Abuja by the plaintiff, anti corruption crusader and lawyer Barrister Sahabi Sani Sami enumerated a series of corrupt cases involving the governor both home and abroad for which he is still refunding money secretly at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), but the ruling APC government is allegedly covering him.
The case was brought before the court on Thursday but the court adjourned hearing. The judge Ademola Adeniyi moved the case to Tuesday, February 2nd, 2016 to allow parties involved adopt their various addresses.
The judge said it is not possible to take the preliminary objections and substantive hearing immediately.
“There is no way we can take the two together. It was for definite hearing as at December 10 but after that so many things have changed,” Adeniyi said.
After the session’s adjournment, the plaintiff, Sani Sami told journalists he expects the candidate for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) be sworn in since the a All Progressive Congress (APC) party candidate is not qualified.
Sami said: “We all know who Abubakar Bagudu is, talk about Abacha’s loot you can only think of Bagudu. We are interested in helping president Buhari fight corruption by not allowing corrupt people hold public offices.”
But defence counsel, Riki Tarfa said his team is ready to defend all allegations against the defendant.
“The allegations are baseless, all of them,” Tarfa said.
Also speaking, Machidu Attahiru, the Kebbi state APC chairman said: “Kebbi people voted and made their choice for four years and we stand by that.”
He said despite the court sittings, the governor, Bagudu is not distracted or deterred from delivering his mandate to the people of Kebbi state.
Bagudu, SIGNAL investigations have revealed, is wanted in the United States of America, over his involvement in the looting of over $600 million during the reign of late General Sani Abacha.
“General Abacha, his son Mohammed Sani Abacha, their associate Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and others embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions from the government of Nigeria and others, then laundered their criminal proceeds through the purchase of bonds backed by the United States using U.S. financial institutions”, a report by the US Justice department revealed.
Documents show that Between January 1994 and June 1998, General Sani Abacha, National Security Advisor Gwarzo, Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha stole more than $2 billion from Nigeria by fraudulently and falsely representing that the funds were to be used for national security purposes.
Despite its anti-corruption war, the APC government of President Muhammadu Buhari has been silent over the issue. President Buhari it will be recalled served under the regime of General Abacha as Chairman of the late dictator’s Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), a body which has never been subjected to any government probe despite allegations that it was used by Abacha to siphon billions of dollars from Nigeria’s treasury.
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