The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Niger State, Engr. Mohammed Jibrin Imam and the Treasurer of the party, Dr. Shafiyi Abdulsalam have been remanded in Minna Federal Correctional facility on the order of the Chief Magistrate, Nasir Mua’azu.
They were arraigned by the men of the anti fraud squad of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department ( SCIID), of the Niger Police Command on three count charges which bothered on criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and criminal misappriopriation.
According to the Police Prosecutor, Ahmed Saidu, ASP, the three count charges were punishable under Section 97, 312 and 309 of the penal code.
They were remanded based on a petition to the Niger State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Usman by the Financial Secretary of APC, Idris Nma Mohammed and the State Internal Auditor, Adamu Baba Aliyu stating that the accused alledgedly stole the sum of
(651,686,974:53k) belonging to Niger State All Progressives.
Upon arraignment in Court, they were charged as follows: “You, Engr Mohammed Jibrin Imam, Chairman All Progressives Congress ( APC), Niger State, Dr Shafiyi Abdulsalam, Treasurer of All Progressives Congress (APC), Niger State, and you Barrister Mohammed Liman, Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Niger State, (now at large), conspired among yourselves and withdrew and misappropriated the All Progressives Congress, Niger State, party funds domiciled in (a) Zenith Bank current account number 1015852453 and withdrew N105,092662:92k (b), Zenith Bank current account number 1014334918 and withdrew N189,921,42:11k, (c) Zenith Bank current account number 1013883141 and withdrew N318,723,713:52k from 1st June, 2014 to 1st June 2020;
“And that you also conspired and withdrew and misappropriated All Progressives Congress Niger State party funds domiciled in (c) Heritage Bank Current account number 5000192413 and withdrew and missapriopriated N173,134,005:98k, from 3rd March, 2016 to 4th June, 2020 all totalling to the tune Six Hundred and Fifty- one Million, Six Hundred Eighty- Six thousand, Nine, Hundred Seventy Four Naira Fifty Three Kobo (651,686,974:53k);
“And also missapriopriated other funds of the All Progressives Congress, Niger State that were made wilfully and you all dishonestly converted to your own personal uses the said monies.”
“Police detectives swung into action and arrested you (1) Engr. Mohammed Jibrin Imam, you (2) Dr. Shafiyi Abdulsalam and (3) Barrister Mohammed Liman (at large), and during police investigation, it was revealed that a total of N790,821,600:00k was domiciled at Niger State All Progressives Congress ( APC), Bank Accounts in Zenith (a) Bank Current Number 1015852453, (b), Zenith Bank current account number 1014334918, (c) Zenith Bank current account number1013883141 and (d),
“All Progressives Congress Niger State account at Heritage Bank Current account number 5000192413 and total sum of N135,184,550:00k was withdrawn with memos for the use of the All Progressives Congress, Niger State while N651,686,974:53k was withdrawn by you all without memo and unaccounted for.
“Further police investigation also revealed that you (4), Alhaji Muka Fasasi Welfare Officer of All Progressives Congress, Niger State (at large), confessed to have collected Four Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira ( N4,800,000:00k) from the Niger State House of Assembly members and brought to you (1) Engr. Mohammed Jibrin Imam and the money was shared among yourselves.
“During police investigation, when questioned you could not give a reasonable and satisfactory accounts of records of the said monies which record must be obtainable from the financial secretary and which the sum you all converted to your own personal use.
“Further police investigation revealed that you conspired among yourselves, withdrew the said sums of money belonging to the All Progressives Congress, Niger State and converted all the monies to your own personal use.
“You all are thereby suspected to have committed the above mentioned offences”.
When the charges were read to them by the chief Magistrate Nasir Mua’azu they all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The police prosecutor Ahmed Saidu ASP, told the court that, “having pleaded not guilty to the charges as read to them, “I urge the court to give us new date as investigation into the case has just commenced and as regard to the bail of the accused persons.
The prosecutor to their bail as the one of the charge against the accused persons is not ordinarily bailable.
More so, the police is on the trail of two others that are currently at large. “I objected to the bail of the accused persons”
The Defence Counsel, Barrister Musa Suleiman, requested the court to admit the two accused persons on bail,.saying that:
“The two accused persons are well established in the state with their family members here in the jurisdiction of this court.
“The issues of jumping bail doesn’t even arise in the first place. The police are just making something out to deny them bail my Lord, one of the accused person was just discharged From 44 Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna as a result of his health challenges. I urged you my Lord to admit them on bail with assurance to produce a reasonable surety that will stand for them. That is my prayer”
The case has been adjougned to 25 of September, 2020 , for the rulling on the oral application made by the Defence Counsel, while the presiding Chief Magistrate directed the counsel to produce the medical evidence of the accused person and ordered them to be remanded in Federal Correctional Centre.
