Former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, has been discharged and acquitted of corruption charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Bafarawa and four others were first arraigned in 2009 before the Sokoto State High Court on a twenty-two count charge of conspiracy, criminal misappropriation, theft and receiving of stolen funds.

All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them, and were yesterday discharged and acquitted of the charges by Justice Bello Abbas.

However; the EFCC has frowned at the ruling, which it described as shocking and unacceptable, and promised to appeal against it.

In another development; former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu has failed in his bid to quash the three point two billion naira corruption charges against him.

Orji Kalu alongside his former Commissioner for Finance and Account, Jones Udeogu, and a company, Slok Nigeria Limited, are being prosecuted by the EFCC on an amended thirty-nine-count charge bordering on money laundering.

Kalu had entered a no-case submission in the matter the EFCC filed against him before the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, but Justice Muhammed Idris struck out the motion in his ruling.

Three officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, have been arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos for allegedly benefitting from the multimillion dollars looted funds used to finance the 2015 election of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

Yemi Akinwunmi, Atiba Dickson and Ogunmodede Oladayo were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi.

The EFCC is prosecuting Akinwunmi, Dickson and Oladayo on eight counts of conspiracy, diversion of public funds and money laundering to the tune of one hundred and seventy-nine million, eight hundred thousand naira.

The defendants are alleged to have collected the slush funds from former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.

EFCC spokesman said in a statement that investigation revealed that the money was disbursed to some chieftains of the PDP, as well as some retired staff of INEC in Ogun State in order to compromise the 2015 general elections.

However; all three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them, following which the prosecution counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.

However, counsel to the defendants, Ayo Ogungbesan, moved an oral application for bail on behalf of his clients, which the trial judge refused, insisting that the counsel must make a formal application for bail.

Consequently, Justice Hassan adjourned the matter to August 6, 2018 for hearing of the bail application and ordered the defendants to be remanded prison custody.

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has ordered an investigation into an ambush and killing of four policemen at Sabon Gida, Ora, in Edo State over the weekend.

Reports say the policemen were on patrol when they drove into an ambush by armed robbers, who opened fire and caused their vehicle to burst into flames.

The incident on Saturday happened just as the Police High Command was still battling to crack a similar ambush by robbers in Abuja that claimed the lives of seven policemen on 2nd July.

However; a statement released by Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, noted that investigations have not established any link between the two incidents.

Moshood further disclosed that some public spirited individuals have been giving useful information to the Police in the on-going investigations, requires additional assistance from the public for credible information.

He said the Police High Command was also offering five million naira reward to anyone with useful information that could lead to the arrest of the remaining perpetrators of the attack on the seven policemen in Abuja.

The Force was also offering additional five million naira reward for information on the gunmen who killed four policemen at Sabon Gida, Ora, in Edo State last Saturday.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has promised that those who stole money belonging to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund will have their day in court.

The Acting Chairman of EFCC, IBRAHIM MAGU, gave the assurance when he played host to management staff of TETFUND, led by the Executive Secretary, Abdullahi Baffa, at his office in Abuja.

Magu said the anti-graft agency was intensifying investigations across the various zones to identify those who mismanaged funds meant for the development of the educational sector.

He said the work at hand was enormous and requires the partnership between EFCC and TETFUND to block all loopholes for corruption by encouraging people to monitor projects and activities of contractors.

The EFCC informed the delegation of a recent conviction of secured in Ondo State in a fraud case involving TEFFUND, adding that more suspects are still under the radar of the agency.

Attention has returned to the Federal High Court in Jos where the Amaju Pinnick group has taken the case asking that the order which for Chris Giwa to take office should be vacated.

Our man Bello Zech went to the streets to sample the thoughts of football fans on who they think should be the President of the NFF. Let’s take a listen.

Men of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria have arrested eight suspected cultists who fled Andoni to Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Our correspondent gathered from a source close to the VGN that the suspected cultists were caught at a forest in Bordor community.

They men were apprehended yesterday afternoon while purportedly undergoing some kind of rituals with tortoise, native fowl and goat, in a bid to fortify them for an operation in Andoni.

Our source said the young men were immediately handed over the Police Division at Kpor, in Gokana, but it appeared that the local police officers have been put under pressure to release the suspects.

Former Minister of State for Power, Muhammad Wakil, has been granted bail on a seven-count charge of fraud involving the alleged multimillion dollars alleged looted PDP campaign fund for 2015 elections.

Wakil was arraigned alongside Garba Abacha, Ibrahim Shehu Birma, Abubakar Ali Kullima and Muhammad Baba Kachalla before the Federal High Court sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The men were alleged to have conspired to commit money laundering to the tune of over three hundred and forty-one million naira looted public fund.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, alleged that the money was part of the sum of one hundred and fifteen million dollars, purportedly distributed to PDP leaders and electoral officials by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Maduke.

All five accused persons had pleaded not guilty to the charges and were admitted to bail by Justice Muhammad Tanko Salihu in the sum of ten million naira each, with two sureties in the sum of five million naira each.

The Court also ordered that the sureties must have a landed property within or outside the jurisdiction of the court worth the amount of their surety bond.

EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed in a statement obtained by our correspondent that the case has been adjourned to 1st November for trial.

The trial of former National Security Adviser, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, continues despite being granted bail by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Dasuki is also facing charges before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory over alleged misappropriation of security funds, which is separate from the case for which he was granted bail by Justice Ojukwu.

However; the trial at the Abuja High Court has been put off due to the inability of the Federal Government to file the list of exhibits it expects to tender against Dasuki as required by law.

Following the development; the defence counsel, Adeola Adedipe raised an objection against the continued trial of his client on the ground that the prosecution team led by Rotimi Jacobs has not complied with some provisions of the law.

Adedipe informed Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf that without the list of exhibits, he has not been able to prepare his defence in compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

In his ruling; Justice Baba-Yusuf upheld the objection by the Defence counsel and directed that the process of law must be complied with in the interest of justice and fair play.

The court, therefore, adjourned the trial to 27th and 28th September as well as 8th and 9th October, for the continuation of trial.

In the interim; the court ordered that all necessary processes must be filed and served on parties before the returned dates.

The Senate has described those who blocked the entrance to the National Assembly earlier today as sponsored protesters.

Our correspondent reports that the Senators unanimously questioned the rationale behind the protest, following a point of order by Senator Barnabas Gemade of Benue North-East.

In his remarks; the Senate President, Bukola Saraki ‎condemned the protest, and described the protesters as insensitive and enemies of the people.

The prosecution of people who are thought to have benefited from the allegedly looted public fund that was used for the 2015 election campaign of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has shifted to Borno State.

In the eye of the storm in the latest phase of the EFCC’s marathon prosecution is a former Minister of State for Power Muhammad Wakil and four others.

Wakil and his co-accused persons a seven-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of over three hundred and forty-one million naira.

The others are Garba Abacha, Ibrahim Shehu Birma, Abubakar Ali Kullima and Muhammad Baba Kachalla.

The five accused persons were arraigned before Justice M.T Salihu of the Federal High Court sitting in Maiduguri

The EFCC alleged that the defendants received part of one hundred and fifteen million dollars that was allegedly disbursed by a former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke, with a view to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.

EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said all five defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, and Justice SALIHU is expected to hear the bail applications today.

in another development; Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja is due to determine an application by former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh, seeking to set aside an order foreclosing defence on his four hundred million naira fraud trial.

The matter had been slated for the opening of the defense of second defendant, Destra Investment Limited, but was stalled following an application by the defence counsel, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

Justice Abang stated that the outcome of court’s decision would determine whether the second defendant would be called upon to open its defence.