Absence of witness stalls ex-Gov. Nyako’s N40bn corruption trial

Former Adamawa Governor Murtala Nyako

The absence of a prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former Adamawa governor, Murtala Nyako, over alleged N40 billion fraud was stalled in a Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Okon Abang.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the prosecuting counsel, A.O. Atolagbe, told the court that the proceedings for the day was to get the response of the defence to the admissibility or otherwise of some documents.

“Today my lord, is for the response of the defendants to the documents sought to be tendered by the prosecution through the third prosecution witness.”

Mr. Atolagbe, however, said that the witness was not in court because he was on leave and outside Abuja.

He added that since it was just to get the defendants’ response, he didn’t think it was necessary for the witness to be present in court.

Mr. Atolagbe said that they could not call any further witness until the third witness had finished giving his testimony.

He, however, gave the assurance that the prosecution would produce the witness in court on the next adjourned date.

The defence counsel, Ibrahim Isiaku , who said he was holding the brief of Kanu Agabi, SAN, informed the court that he just got information that the witness was not in court.

He added that since no other witness could be called, it was better to continue the matter on the next adjourned date.

The judge, Okon Abang, frowned at the prosecution’s thinking that the matter could go on without the witness present in court.

Mr. Abang said that it was the position of the law that the witness must be in court since the said document sought to be tendered involved him.

He said that the prosecution had failed to give a reasonable excuse as to why the witness was not in court.

“The matter was adjourned at the instance of the defence to enable them decide whether or not they will allow the admissibility of the documents.

“However, the witness is not in court and no reasonable excuse has been given for his absence; even though the prosecution says he is on leave, I do not know whether it is annual or casual leave.

“Moreover, as a witness on oath, that is not a reasonable excuse as the witness must be in court for the defence to argue on the admissibility of the documents ,” Mr. Abang said.

He adjourned the matter till February 20.

Mr. Nyako and his son, Abdulaziz, are standing trial over alleged N40 billion fraud.

The father and son are facing a 37-count money laundering charge, alongside two others, Zulkifik Abba and Abubakar Aliyu.

They allegedly diverted the funds from the Adamawa treasury between January 2011 and December. 2014.

The funds were allegedly diverted through five companies – Blue Opal Limited, Sebore Farms and Extension Limited, Pagoda Fortunes Limited, Tower Assets Management Limited and Crust Energy Limited.

The companies were also charged before the court as the 5th to 9th defendants.

Women Affairs Minister Collapses in Adamawa, Revived with a bottle of Coke

The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Alhassan, collapsed monday at the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) camp in Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State while addressing vulnerable IDP women inside a store in the camp.

Alhassan, who was in crutches when she arrived the camp, and after addressing the IDPs, entered the store to discuss with some of the said vulnerable women sequel to an allegation by some foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on violation of some girls and women at the IDPs’ camps in the North-east.

While discussing with the women, she collapsed, but was quickly assisted to a chair and given a bottle of Coke to drink, which revived her.

According to some of her aides, she had been diagnosed with low sugar, a problem that creates serious weakness of the body.

But despite her state of health, she managed to explain to journalists at the camp that her fact-finding mission to Yobe, Borno and Adamawa States tend to confirm the foreign NGOs’ allegation.

The minister had earlier said that she was at the camp to give a message from President Muhammadu Buhari to the displaced persons, who wanted them to cheer up despite the hardship because everything was being done to ensure that they go back to their homes.

She told the IDPs that the president was touched by their suffering and that was why he sent her to come and donate relief materials and felicitate with them.

Alhassan also paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Muhammadu Bindow, and told him that her visit to the IDPs was to investigate allegations of violation of girls and women and the compound issues of orphans and the vulnerable.

She used the occasion to remind the governor of calls by various women groups on the need to return the women development centre, which was given to the Court of Appeal for its use.

The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ahmad Sajoh, in his remarks, told the minister and her staff that the governor celebrated the last Ed-el-Kabir with the IDPs at the Malkohi camp.
According to Sajoh, the governor and his cabinet, including some All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts ate and danced with the displaced persons.

In his brief remarks, Bindow stressed the need for peaceful co-existence, adding: “Without peace, no one would readily do anything.”

The Deputy Governor, Mr. Martins Babale, in a vote of thanks, observed that keeping the IDPs was still a problem because of the state of the economy.

According to him, the state was still expecting about 56,000 displaced persons from Cameroun.