‘Not guilty’ Shehu Sani pleads

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, arraigned a former Nigerian senator, Shehu Sani.

Mr Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the last Senate, was arrested in December 2019 for allegedly “collecting $25,000″ in the name of the EFCC acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu.

He pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge bordering on alleged bribery on Monday when read to him.

The former senator was arraigned before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

According to the charges, Mr Sani allegedly collected $15,000 from Sani Dauda under false pretence on November 20, 2019, promising to give the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Mohammed, in other to influence some pending cases in court.

He also allegedly collected $10,000 from Mr Dauda to bribe the acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.

After the charge was read to the former lawmaker, his lawyer, A A Ibrahim, asked the court to grant him leave to move Mr Sani’s bail application.

However, the anti-graft agency lawyer, Abba Mohammed, asked the court for a remand order against Mr Sani.

Mr Mohammed, who also told the court that he was served with the bail application today, asked the court to fix a date for trial to commence.

Justice Ekwo stood down the matter until 12 noon to give the prosecution time to study the defendant’s bail application.

The plea for bail would be decided when the court reconvenes.

PV: 0