Two officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Ibrahim Muhammed Umar and Sahabo Iya Hamman have been charged to court for allegedly receiving the sum of N362 million,  part of the  N23 billion bribe allegedly distributed by the former Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to influence the outcome of the 2015 Presidential election.
While Ibrahim Muhammed Umar is still in service, Sahabo Iya Hamman has retired from the services of INEC.
The two were charged before Justice Nathan Musa of the Adamawa State High Court, Yola by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (INEC), on a 3-count: conspiracy, corrupt procurement and receipt of monetary benefit.
Ibrahim, the electoral officer in charge of Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa state, allegedly conspired with  Sahabo, a retired INEC staff and Adamawa  state coordinator of West African Network of Election Observers (WANEO) during the 2015 presidential election, to receive the money.
Investigation revealed that N65.2 million from the money collected was shared among INEC officials in the state while N281.9 million could not be accounted for by the accused persons.
Count two of the charge read: “that you, Ibrahim Mohammed Umar, Sahabo Iya Hamman and Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke  (now at large) sometime between March and May, 2015 at Yola,  Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while being a public officer working with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), retired public servant and former Minister of Petroleum Resources  (now at large) and in capacities, did corruptly procured monetary benefit of Three Hundred and Sixty Two Million Naira, (N362,000,000.00) in favour of Public Officer and staff working with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Adamawa State contrary to and punishable under Section 9 (1) (a) & (b) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act,  2000.”
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecution counsel, A. Y. Muntaka has asked the court to fix a date for trial and to remand the accused in prison custody.
Justice Nathan adjourned the case to  October 17, 18 and 19,  2017, even as he granted bail in the accused in the sum of N10m each and two sureties in like sum. The sureties are also to have landed property worth N10m within the jurisdiction of the court which is to be verified by the court.[myad]

Former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, his son Sagir Attahiru and their family company, Dalhatu Investment Ltd have complained that the delay in the trial of the alleged $2.1 billion arms fund diversion charges against the former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki is negatively affecting their businesses.
The trio have therefore applied for a separate trial from Dasuki to ensure speedy trial and conclusion of their case.
The criminal charge of diversion of $2.1 billion arms fund was brought against them by the Federal government in 2015.
The ex-Governor and his son who are 4th, 5th and 6th defendants in the criminal charge slammed on them by government in 2015 are claiming that the joint trial with others is oppressive to them.
The three defendants have instituted a motion before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, complaining that the continuous unnecessary delay of their trial along with Dasuki is negatively affecting their family business and detrimental to their advantage.
In their motion argued by their counsel, Dr. Kayode Olatoke SAN, the former governor and his son claimed that they can be separately tried outside Dasuki to ensure speedy and accelerated trial of the offences allegedly committed by them.
They further claimed that filing a joint charge against them and others for the alleged offences allegedly committed together was not a bar to their been prosecuted separately as non of the parties involved in the trial will be jeopardized.
Bafarawa and his son insisted that their separate trial outside Dasuki will guarantee their constitutional rights to a speedy trial within reasonable time in line with section 36 of the 1999 constitution.
In a 15 paragraph affidavit in support of the motion, the applicants claimed that since the trial began in 2015 no reasonable progress had been made because other parties had brought different motion to the court to challenge jurisdiction and to have the charges quashed.
In the affidavit deposed to by one Bolatito Oguntoye, they asserted that they  are ready and willing to assist the court with speedy trial if their charge was separated from others.
They claimed that although they were charged with others in the alleged offence however, the role of each accused person in the transaction that led to the joint charge are distinct and that the proof of evidence touched on each of the accused person personally and can be taken against them.
However, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), urged the court to dismiss the motion for lacking in merit and for being in contravention of the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
In the counter motion argued by Mr. Rotimi Jacobs SAN, he claimed that Bafarawa, his son and their family company, Dalhatu Investment Ltd were properly joined with Dasuki, Bashiru Yuguda and Shuaibu Salisu for their joint roles in the diversion of the public fund and for conspiracy.
Jacobs informed the court that Dalhatu investment owned by Bafarawa and his son was the receiver of the alleged stolen fund into its UBA bank account and that once their charge with Dasuki is separated it would be practically and legally impossible to prove the Case of conspiracy.
The prosecution counsel further argued that separation of the trial as canvassed by the applicants will further delay the speedy trial of the joint charge and that the prosecution is fully prepared to prove the case against the defendants within a reasonable time.
Also opposing the motion for separate trial former National Security Adviser. Col. Sambo Dasuki said that his joint trial with Bafarawa and others is not negotiable because of the nature and circumstances of the charges.
Dasuki, who was represented in court by Adeola Adedipe argued that Bafarawa and his son cannot be tried outside him without fundamental amendment to the present charge against them, adding that the offence of conspiracy cannot be tried separately.
“May I inform this court that the motion of the applicants is incurably defective because of the failure to first seek for the amendment of the joint charge.
“There has to be one step at a time in a uniform or joint charge. The applicants seek for fundamental amendment of the current charge before they can talk of demand for separate trial,” he said.
Dasuki claimed that he was ready and willing to stand for speedy trial but for the refusal of the complainant to allow him enjoy the bail granted him by court and the refusal to allow him unfettered access to his lawyers.
Justice Baba-Yusuf after taken arguments from lawyers fixed rulings for October 19.

[myad]

The National Judicial Council (NJC) under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, has established Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee (COTRIMCO).
The committee is to be headed by a retired President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami.
According to a statement from the NJC, the decision to establish Corruption trial monitoring committee was taken today, Wednesday at the 82nd meeting of the Council.
The statement said that the committee has 15 members and is expected to operate from the Council Secretariat.
Names of the members were given as Justice Isa Ayo Salami, as Chairman, while Justice Kashim Zannah (Chief Judge of Borno State), Justice P.O. Nnadi (Chief Judge of Imo State), Justice Marsahal Umukoro (Chief Judge of Delta State), Justice M. L. Abimbola (Chief Judge of Oyo State and Mr. A.B Mahmoud, SAN (President, Nigerian Bar Association) are members.
Others members are Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN (former NBA President), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba SAN, Mr. J.B Daudu SAN, Mr. Augustine Alegeh SAN, Dr. Garba Tetengi SAN and Mrs. R.I Inga.
Representative of Non-Governmental Organisations;
Representative of the Ministry of Justice; Representative of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) are also members while the
Secretary NJC, Gambo Saleh will serve as Secretary.
The statement by the BJC’s Director of information, Soji Oye, said that the Committee’s primary functions will include
Regular monitoring and evaluation of proceedings at designated courts for financial and economic crimes nationwide, advising the Chief Justice of Nigeria on how to eliminate delay in the trial of alleged corruption cases and giving feedback to the Council on progress of cases in the designated courts, conduct background checks on judges selected for the designated courts as well as valuating the performance of the designated courts.
The statement recalled that the Chief Justice of Nigeria in his speech at the Special Session of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to mark the commencement of the 2017/2018 Legal Year, emphasized on the concerns expressed by members of the public on the very slow speed with which corruption cases were being heard or determined by the Court.
“Consequently, he directed all Heads of Courts to compile and forward to the Council, comprehensive lists of all corruption and financial crime cases being handled by their various Courts.
“He also directed them to designate in their various jurisdictions one or more Courts, as Special Courts solely for the purpose of hearing and speedily determining corruption and financial crimes cases.
“he Supreme Court of Nigeria and the Court of Appeal were equally directed to fix special date in each week for hearing and determining appeals from such cases.
“The Committee is expected to drive the Council’s new policy on anti-corruption war.”[myad]

Nigeria Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Tijjani  Bande has commended the Nigerian minister of Defence Mansur Dan-Ali on the successes recorded so far by the Armed Forces of Nigeria in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast.
He also commended the efforts of the Muhammadu Buhari government towards restoring law and order in other parts of the country and under the United Nations.
Ambassador Tijjani  Bande, who received the defence minister in his office in New York, the United States of America, thanked the minister for finding time after the UN General Assembly meeting to visit him in his office.
He described the relationship between diplomacy and defence as a major strength of any great Nation.
This was even as the minister praised the good working relationship between the Nigerian missions abroad and the defence sections of the ministry.
He also hailed the quality of leadership and staff of the defence section in the UN mission in New York even as he he congratulated the Permanent Representative for his well deserved appointment and promising him of the full support of his ministry towards discharging his mandate at the United Nations.[myad]