A former governor of Jigawa State, Saminu Turaki, who was arrested on Tuesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, may stay in the custody of the anti-graft agency until at least September 19, according to PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr. Turaki was arrested at the International Conference Centre, Abuja by operatives of the agency at the launch of a book on the late Zakariya Maimalari, titled: The First Regular Combatant.
Law enforcement agents had been unable to arrest him since a warrant for his arrest was issued by a federal court more than four years ago.
The live airing of the book launch on TV is believed to have alerted the anti-graft agency to Mr. Turaki’s presence at the event attended by major political leaders, leading to his eventual arrest.
He had been on the wanted list of the EFCC since May 3, 2013 when a Federal High Court in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, issued the warrant for his arrest for serially failing to appear before the court.
The court, presided by Justice Sabi’u Yahuza, had directed the police and the EFCC to apprehend Mr. Turaki on sight and bring him before it.
“You are hereby commanded to arrest the said Ibrahim Saminu Turaki and bring him before me at Federal High Court, Dutse, Jigawa State without delay”, the court ordered the law enforcement agencies.
The order was as a result of Mr. Turaki’s repeated refusal to appear before the court to answer charges of massive looting of his state made against him by the EFCC.
Mr. Turaki, who served two terms as governor of Jigawa from 1999 to 2007, was first arraigned by the EFCC before Justice Binta Murtala Nyako of the Federal Capital Territory High Court on May 13, 2007 on a 32-count charge of misappropriating N36 billion while in office.
Following his arraignment, he was granted bail in the sum of N100 million with two federal legislators, Bawa Bwari and Bashir Adamu, standing as his sureties.
