The Federal High Court in Dutse, Jigawa state capital, has acquitted a former governor of the state, Saminu Turaki of an N36 billion fraud allegation.
The corruption charge was preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The trial judge, Hassan Dikko, struck out the case over lack of diligence prosecution by the prosecutor, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr Turaki appeared at the court Thursday morning to face the 32-count corruption charge filed against him and his co-defendants 14 years ago.
The prosecution counsel was absent during Thursday’s session.
The defence counsel, Michael Aondoakaa, pleaded with the court to strike out the case against the first defendant (Mr Turaki) for lack of diligent prosecution since neither the prosecution counsel nor the witness was in the court on Thursday when the matter came up.
Mr Aondoakaa, a former minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation, argued that the Thursday sitting was the sixth adjournment since the case was brought before the court and the EFCC has neither appeared nor given reasons for its absence.
The defence counsel pleaded with the court to strike out the charges against the former governor because the prosecution was not ready to proceed with the case.
The judge, Mr Dikko, in his ruling, struck out the case and discharged the first defendant, Mr Turaki, and ordered the prosecution (the EFCC) to do the needful when they are ready to proceed with the case.
