After seven years of legal fireworks between the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and Umar Mohammed Nasko, a former People's Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate and one time commissioner of Environment and chief of staff under the administration of Dr. Mua'azu Babangida Aliyu, the Minna High Court has discharged him.
His discharge was a sequel to the application filed by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Niger State, Nasir Mua'azu, to discontinue the case brought against Umar Nasko by the EFCC in 2017.
The development for his discharge came a few hours after the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Niger State, Nasir Mua'azu, took over the prosecution of the case from the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC).
The former governor of Niger State, Dr. Mua'azu Babangida Aliyu, and the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), state Chairman Tanko Beji, were earlier discharged in December 2023 by Justice Mikailu Abdullahi of Minna High Court number two.
They were both dragged to court by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), sometime in 2017, for alleged criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of about N3 billion belonging to Niger State.
Dr. Mua'azu Babangida Aliyu, along with his commissioner for Environment, Umar Nasko, and the Niger State chairman of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger State, Barrister Tanko Beji, were in 2017 arraigned before the then Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Mohammed Aliyu Mayaki.
Before his discharge, Umar Nasko was the only respondent remaining in the case, and he was to enter his defence yesterday (Monday), January 15, 2024.
However, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Niger State, Nasir Mua'azu, applied to take over the prosecution of the case from the EFCC on the ground that the case has suffered several adjournments for the past seven years without any visible headway from the EFCC.
His application was contained in the motion on notice filed before the court on January 8, 2024, and filed on January 10, 2024.
The prosecuting counsel to the EFCC, Farouk Abdullahi, objected to the application and requested time to address the court on the application.
The counsel to the respondent, Mike Maman Osman (SAN), objected to the submission of the prosecuting counsel, and the Attorney General cited the provisions of Section 211(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
The EFCC counsel, after a short standdown, withdrew his objection and submitted that he had no option but to do so, adding that whatever happened, the course of ensuring justice was done in accordance with the criminal justice system.
A few hours after the court resumed, the Attorney General applied to discontinue the case, which was granted by the court.