Former Zamfara State Governor Ahmed Rufai Sani was docked yesterday for allegedly mismanaging a N1billion loan meant for the repair of Gusau Dam in 2006.
About N425,491,736.75 of the N1billion was allegedly diverted to other purposes.
The trial of Sani in Zamfara High Court 4 was, however, turned into a political carnival.
The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) team, led by Prosecutor Raheem Adesina arrived at the court premises to meet a hostile crowd of political appointees, including commissioners.
Some of the supporters yelled at the ICPC officials for putting Sani on trial.
According to a top official of ICPC, the four-man team of the anti-graft agency was rescued and escorted out of Gusau, the state capital, by mobile policemen after the court session.
The source said: “The ICPC photographer, Solomon Kolo, was almost lynched by the enraged supporters of the accused person.
“When Kolo was taking Sani’s photograph in the dock, he was accosted by a man who claimed to be the Chief Security Officer of the accused person. He demanded for Kolo’s identification and verified it.
“Although the supporters surged forward to attack Kolo, the operatives of DSS and mobile policemen formed a wall around the ICPC team amid threats.
“Despite the threats, the ICPC team arraigned Sani before Justice Bello Muhammad Shinkafi.”
Sani pleaded not guilty to the 19 charges slammed against him.
Counsel to the respondent, Mahmud Abubakar (SAN), urged the court to admit Sani to bail on personal recognition.
He said his client will “not in any way attempt to jump bail because he is an established personality with an immense political influence as the state’s political leader, as well as being a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The ICPC was represented by A. I. Raheem and Joseph Ugbo.
Justice Shinkafi granted bail on conditions that the respondent must produce two recognised sureties, one of whom must be a resident of Gusau who owns a property worth N150m. Both sureties must have N100m.
The court has adjourned the hearing till February 26 and March 1.
Sani, popularly called Yerima Bakura, is alleged to have on or about November, 2006 whilst being Zamfara State governor spent money allocated for one project on another to wit: out of N1billion additional budgetary allocation by the House of Assembly for the repair of collapsed Gusau Dam and settlement of the victims of the said dam, which was obtained through a bank loan you spent N20m purportedly on assistance to INEC and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
Out of the N1billion, Sani allegedly spent N10million purportedly on donation and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
