EFCC vs Shema: Court adjourns to June 12

A Katsina High Court has adjourned till June 12 following the request by counsel to former Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema to study report of the Committee on Local Government Finances.

The report formed the basis of the case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) against the former governor.

Shema alongside three others namely former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Sani Makana, former Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government Affairs, Lawal Rufai and the ex-ALGON Chairman, Lawal Dankaba were dragged before the court by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over alleged misappropriation of about N11b belonging to the state and it’s 34 local government.

At resumed sitting, Shema’s counsel Joseph Daudu SAN said since the last sitting the report was not made available to them until Monday 28 May.

However, EFCC’s counsel, Olatoke Olukayode, SAN, the document is not a motion that requires 48 hours for reply adding that “it was a report submitted at the commission of enquiry which copy has been with them all this while.”

He said, Monday being a public holiday would not in any way affect reading of public document adding that it will only takes few minutes for them to read it because it’s not a bulky document as such.

In his ruling, Justice Ibrahim Maikaita Bako adjourned the case to June 12, 2018 for continuous hearing on the motion.