N214.7m campaign fund: EFCC arraigns Bauchi ex-commissioner, 3 others
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned a former Bauchi State finance commissioner Garba Dahiru and three others, before a Federal High Court in Bauchi over alleged money laundering of N214.7 million campaign funds.
Dahiru, Haliru Abdullahi, Sale Gamawa and Aminu Gadiya face a 4-count charge bordering on conspiracy and accepting cash payment exceeding the provided by law.
They were accused of receiving, in their capacities as members of the fund raising committee of their political party, cash payment of N214.7m during the campaign for the 2015 general elections, beyond the threshold provided by law, thereby violating the provisions of the Money Laundering Act.
They pleaded not guilty to the charge.
After hearing the prosecution defense counsels, threshold both and Justice Muhammad Shitu granted the accused bail in the sum of N50m with two sureties each one of whom must be a civil servant in Bauchi and the other must also have a landed property in the state.
He also adjourned the case to 16th and 17th October, 2018.
Daily Trust reports that this is coming a day after the Deputy National Chairman of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Babayo Garba Gamawa and five others were arraigned over an alleged N500m fraud.
The five others are Alhaji Ahmed Dandija, former Secretary to Bauchi State Government; Alhaji Aminu Hamayo, former Commissioner for Land and Survey, and Dahiru Madaki; former Special Adviser to former governor Isa Yuguda on Pilgrims Affairs, Sanusi Sarkin-Aska and former member Bauchi State House of Assembly, Aliyu Jallam.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the court sitting, the prosecution said the two arraignments were connected but separated and charged differently for convenience.