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A judge at the Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu, Yobe State, Justice Fadima Aminu has told a former Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Abdu Bulama and four others in court that they have questions to answer in a N450M fraud case.
The other four defendants are: Hon. Mohammed Kadai, a former Commissioner for Integrated and Rural Development in Yobe State, Abba Gana Tata, Muhammad Mamu and Hassan Ibn Jaks.The ex-minister served as the Coordinator of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 re-election Campaign Committee in Yobe State, while Kadai was his deputy, with the other three defendants as members.
They were alleged to have received the said sum in order to influence the outcome of the 2015 Presidential election.
The defendants are being prosecuted by the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Commission on a seven count charge of criminal conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of N450M.
The ex-minister was re-arraigned on Monday, November 8, 2021 alongside the other four defendants.
Upon re-arraignment, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts and the matter proceeded to trial. In the course of trial, counsel for the prosecution, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed presented five witnesses and tendered several documents in evidence before the court before closing its case.
Rather than open their defence the defendants opted for a no case submission, arguing that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against them.
However, during the court sitting on Wednesday, the judge ordered that the defendants enter their defence in the N450 Million fraud charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
She said: “Based on the testimonies of witnesses and exhibits tendered before the court”, EFCC had established a prima facie case against the defendant to warrant them to enter their defence.
The judge said this while ruling on a no-case submission filed by the defendants.
The court consequently adjourned till October 19-20, 2023 for the defendant to open their defence.
One of the charges against Bulama reads: “That you, Dr Abdu Bulama, Hon. Mohammed Kadai, Abba Gana Tata, Muhammad Mamu and Hassan Ibn Jaks, on or about the 27th day of March, 2015 at Damaturu, Yobe State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did agree among yourselves to do illegal act, to wit: conspiracy to commit money laundering and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended”.
