Court acquits ex-Jigawa Governor Turaki of N8.3b fraud

A Federal High Court sitting in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, has acquitted former Governor Saminu Turaki of N8.3 billion fraud.

The corruption charge was preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Turaki and three companies have been on trial since May 4, 2007 on a 33-count charge.

The defendants were first arraigned before Justice Binta Nyako, a judge of the Federal High Court, on July 13, 2007.

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In 2011, the case was transferred to the Federal High Court in Dutse, after the former governor challenged the jurisdiction of the Abuja court to hear the matter.

The case was then assigned to Justice Sabiu Yahuza, who later retired, and which caused the case to be reassigned to Justice Hassan Dikko.

In his ruling yesterday, Justice Dikko struck out all charges and discharged all the accused persons for want of diligent prosecution.

The judge ordered that Turaki’s travel document be released to him with immediate effect.