Court Clears Ex-Jigawa Gov, Saminu Turaki, Of N8.3bn Fraud Allegation

Aftee 15 years of litigation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has lost a case against a former Jigawa State governor, Ibrahim Saminu Turaki, over alleged N8.3billion fraud.

This followed a judgment delivered by Federal Higher Court sitting in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, which discharged and acquitted Turaki of all 33 count charges filed against him by EFCC.

Delivering the judgment on Thursday, the trial judge, Justice Hassan Dikko cleared the accused and three other companies of all the 33 count charges bordering on alleged N8.3 billion fraud.

The court also directed the EFCC to release the traveling documents of the Turaki, which was seized during the trial.

It will be recalled that EFCC arrested and arraigned Saminu Turaki before Federal High Court Abuja in 2007 over alleged corruption and embezzlemennt of public funds to the tune of N8.3 billion belonging to the Jigawa State government.

The case was later in 2011 transferred to the Federal High Court sitting in Dutse, Jigawa State for continuation of the trial.

Senator Ibrahim Saminu Turaki served as Jigawa state governor between 1999-2007 under the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). He was elected Senator representing Jigawa North-West zone between 2007-2011 on the platform of the PDP and also currently a PDP standar bearer of the same senatorial district for the forthcoming 2023 general election.