Murtala Nyako who was
Adamawa State governor between January 2011 and December 2014 is facing
prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on 37-count
charges, bothering on money laundering to the tune of N29billion before Justice
Abang.
Justice O.E. Abang of the
Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned hearing in the case involving former
governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako to October, 29 and 30 for further
hearing.
At the resumed hearing,
prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Afolagbe, told the court that the prosecution
needed an adjournment on the matter to enable it produce its witness.
He disclosed that though
there had been three adjournments on the matter, all efforts by the prosecution
to bring the witness to the dock have been thwarted by the continued absence of
the witness.
“We still think we should
put the witness in the box but the information we have is that the said witness
is out of the country to the UK, and that he is sick and receiving treatment.
We apologise to the court that we are not able to produce our witness. We also
apologise to the senior counsel to the defendant,” the prosecution counsel
said.
Afolagbe reminded the court
that the case was reassigned to the present court and that the prosecution has
before now, called a witness and tendered huge documents in establishing its
case.
He explained that one of
the witnesses was no more in the employment and is nowhere to be found,
explaining that the prosecution has made several efforts that proved abortive
and for this reason, was asking for adjournment.
Afolagbe stated that this
was the prosecution’s final adjournment application, adding that the court may
close the case by the next adjournment date, if his team fails to produce the
witness.
The defense counsel,
Ibrahim Ishaku, opposed the application for another adjournment, reminding the
court that there was a pending application with respect for the release of
international passport of the defendant, which was dated September 20, 2019.
“My lord, we oppose the
adjournment by the prosecution. The learned senior counsel had explained that
they have two more witnesses, so if one is not present, another should be
around. If the prosecution has witness, four months is enough for them to
produce the witness and the liberty of the defendant is at stake. This is a
criminal matter, we therefore oppose the application and urge the court to
disapprove and adjourn the matter for us to open our defense,” Ishaku stated.
Justice Abang in his
pronouncements, ordered the court’s chief registrar to release the
international passport of the second defendant to enable him travel to Ghana to
see his family, declaring that he shall return to the country on or before
September 30, 2019, and that upon his return, he shall deposit his
international passport with the chief registrar of the court pending the
conclusion of trial.
He adjourned the matter for
the last time to October 29 and 30, 2019.
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