Alleged N11bn Fraud: EFCC Gets Supreme Court Nod to Try Ex- Gov Shema

The Supreme Court yesterday cleared the way for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to prosecute former Governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, accused of illegal diversion of N11billion.

The apex court, in its judgment delivered by Justice Sidi Bage, held that Shema had a case to answer.

The court dismissed Shema's appeal for lacking in merit. The appeal marked SC/814c/2017, filed by the ex-gov is challenging the 22-count charge EFCC preferred against him.

The Apex Court panel in the judgment directed the former governor to return to the Katsina State High Court and answer to charges pending against him.

Reacting, the former governor said he received the judgement as a welcome development.

Shema, in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Olawale Oluwabusola, said he had never been opposed to fair trial.

Oluwabusola said, "His grouse has been against what was playing out in the allegations and trial by ambush".

He further said the former governor was always ready to defend himself and prove his innocence on universal principles of rule of law and fair hearing against the politically motivated smear campaign of calumny being orchestrated by the Katsina State government using agencies of state and Federal government as tools to cow opposition.

Shema is facing trial alongside three others, Sani Hamisu Makana, Lawal Ahmad Safana and Ibrahim Lawal Dankaba. The defendants were accused of diverting local government allocations for their personal benefit. The apex court upheld an earlier verdict of the Court of Appeal that refused to quash charges against the defendants.