ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday evening stormed the Abuja home of a former governor of Jigawa State, Saminu Turaki, in connection with the alleged embezzlement of N36 billion while in office.
According to the source at the Commission, the neighbours of the former senator claimed that they spotted the operatives at the 16 Dennis Osadebe Street, Aso Villa home of the former governor at about 7pm Wednesday but it was not clear what their mission was or whether the former governor was arrested by the operatives.
However, another source at the EFCC confirmed the raid but said the team missed the former governor as only a few members of his family were found in the house.
The source explained that the operatives went to the house in a bid to execute a warrant for the arrest of the former governor who had refused to present himself for trial since 2011 when he was rearranged on a36-count charge at the Federal High Court Dutse, Jigawa State.
The source maintained that the Commission has long being on the trail of the former senator and even had him watch-listed, but “he has continued to evade arrest”.
A Federal High Court in Dutse, the Jigawa capital, had issued a warrant directing the Inspector General of Police or his officers and the EFCC to arrest Saminu Turaki, former governor of Jigawa State and bring him before the court.
The Justice S. Yahuza, it was reported, gave the order after Turaki failed to appear before the court, with the EFCC previously declaring him wanted.
The Commission is prosecuting the former governor over allegation of N36 billion theft and money laundering crime he allegedly committed when he was governor.
Some of the charges read to the accused person by the court under Presiding Justice Shehu Yahaya, include N12 billion withdrawn from the state government treasury for financing former president Obasanjo’s third term mission.
Turaki was first arraigned by the EFCC before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in 2007 on a 32-count charge of misappropriating N36 billion while he was governor.
The case was later transferred to Federal High Court, Dutse after he challenged the jurisdiction of
the FCT Court
