Katsina High Court adjourns former governor, Ibrahim Shema’s case till February 2018

The Katsina High Court has adjourned till February 13th, 2018 for mentioning of case filed by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC against the former Governor of the state, Ibrahim Shema over alleged financial misappropriation during his administration.

Shema was arraigned together with his Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hamisu Makana, Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government, Lawal Safana and former ALGON Chairman, Lawal Dankaba for allegedly misappropriation of N11 billion during his eight years as governor of the state. However, the Judge, Justice Ibrahim Maikaita Bako, at the court’s Tuesday sitting adjourned the case to Feb. 13, 2018, for mentioning.

The case was adjourned to allow the pending outcome at the Supreme Court slated for 8 Nov. 2017. It would be recalled that Shema had gone to the Appeal court in Kaduna to challenge the jurisdiction of the Katsina State High court which, however, ruled in favour of the State High court.

Unsatisfied, Shema had proceeded to the Supreme Court. The defendant’s counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN) during the Tuesday’s High Court decision, prayed the court to adjourn the case to sinedire (indefinitely) pending the outcome of the Supreme Court.

The prosecution counsel, Mr. Ernest O. Obunadike, objected to the request of the defendant’s counsel considering the nature of the case. Obunadike argued that if the court granted the request for sinedire, it would make the court and the parties to lose track of the entire suit. Obunadike further argued that if the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on November, 2017, that his client might come to the court to ask for the case to be dragged forward to an earlier date than the 13th February for the commencement of the trial.