Agaju Madugba, Katsina
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has succeeded in getting a former Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema, into the dock again, this time at the Federal High Court.
At the resumption of proceedings in the matter, on Tuesday, the former governor pleaded ‘not guilty’ to 26 fresh charges of fraud involving the sum of N5.7 billion during the period he served as governor.
The EFCC claimed that Shema directly tampered with Katsina SURE-P funds lodged at a commercial bank in Katsina.
This comes on the heels of proceedings also initiated by the EFCC at a Katsina High Court where Shema two weeks ago also pleaded “not guilty” to a 24-count corruption and fraud charges.
Shema is standing trial at the Katsina High Court case, alongside three the others who were senior government officials during Shema’s tenure as governor.
As at the time of this report on Tuesday afternoon, the court proceedings were still, on the fresh arraignment, over the issue of bail for the accused.