Ex-governor who evaded arrest for three years wants Maju jailed

Former Governor Saminu Turaki argued that he was detained for more than 48 hours by the EFCC. He asked the court to jail Ibrahim Magu, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for contempt.

Former governor of Jigawa state, Saminu Turaki, has asked an FCT High Court to commit Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for contempt of court. Turaki urged the court to take the action against Magu for reportedly refusing to release him on bail. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the application was filed before Justice Yusuf Halilu, who is the vacation judge.

NAIJ.com learnt that the application was filed on Turaki’s behalf by Regina Okotie-Eboh of Rickey Tarfa Chambers and the former governor is praying the court to jail Magu for disobeying its order.

He also wants the court to force the EFCC to release him from custody and rule that it has jurisdiction to hear the matter. The report said Turaki was arrested on charges of money laundering by EFCC at a public function on July 4 after a bench warrant from a Federal High Court in Dutse, Jigawa in 2014.

Turaki, according to the report, went to court to seek the enforcement of his fundamental human right. He argued that the period of his detention by the EFCC had gone beyond the stipulated 48 hours provided by the constitution. According to the report, Turaki could be capitalizing on the ruling of Justice Yusuf Halilu on July 13, ordering the EFCC to release him on bail.

Apart from that, he was ordered to deposit all his travel documents with the court registry and to report to EFCC every two weeks for signing of a register that would be opened for him. But against the ruling, the EFCC reportedly filed a motion on July 14 asking the court to set aside the bail it granted to him.

The agency argued that the bail condition was too liberal and that the matter was already before the Abuja Federal High Court at the time the ruling was granted. Justice Halilu adjourned until July 20 to hear the application.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that former Governor Saminu Turaki, who was arrested on Tuesday July 4 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), would stay in the custody of the anti-graft agency until at least September 19, Premium Times has gathered.

It was gathered that Mr. Turaki was arrested at the International Conference Centre, Abuja by operatives of the agency at the launch of a book on the late Zakariya Maimalari, titled: The First Regular Combatant.