The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed how Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, illegally pardoned five defendants, including a serving commissioner in his cabinet, Tukur Alkali.
Mr. Alkali is the Commissioner for Animal Health and Fisheries Development.
The revelation was made by the anti-graft agency on its Facebook page on Monday as it challenged the power of the governor to pardon the said officials standing trial for allegedly stealing money belonging to the Sokoto people.
Others pardoned include the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Isa Achida, Chairman, Governing Board, National Commission for Colleges of Education, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, the member representing Isa constituency at the House of Assembly, Alhaji Habibu Modachi and a Permanent Secretary, Isah Bello.
CHECKPOINTCHARLEY understands that all the pardoned officials, who are now serving under the current Tambuwal administration, were arraigned alongside a former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa in 2009, for alleged N15bn fraud.
They had also served under Bafarawa government between 2002 and 2007. They were arraigned alongside 10 others by the EFCC.
But the anti-graft agency exposed that only those who are currently serving under Tambuwal were pardoned while the others, including Bafarawa were left to face the music.
The EFCC condemned the selective pardon and stated that it had filed an appeal to ensure that the five pardoned persons do not evade justice.
The EFCC wrote, “The EFCC, on September 25, 2017 filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division, challenging the judgment delivered by the Sokoto State High in respect of pardon granted by the Governor of Sokoto, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to five accused persons who were charged alongside former governor Attahiru Bafarawa.
“It would be recalled that on June 29, 2017, the Sokoto State High Court presided over by Justice Bello Abbas delivered a judgment discharging five accused persons, Alhaji Tukur Alkali, Bello Isah, Alhaji Isah Sadiq, Alhaji Habibu Modachi and Alhaji Muhammadu Dingyadi.
“The ruling was sequel to a motion filed by the respondents seeking to be discharged from further criminal proceedings based on a pardon granted to them by the Sokoto State Government.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), also blasted Governor Tambuwal for the pardon. He pointed out that the money which was allegedly stolen belonged to the people of Sokoto State and not to him.
Prof Sagay said, “It is only the Attorney General of the Federation that can ask for a case that is being prosecuted by the Federal Government to be withdrawn. So, what Tambuwal did by pardoning is illegal.
“Secondly, the money that was allegedly stolen belonged to the people of Sokoto and not Tambuwal.”
The Sokoto State government is yet to respond to the accusation.
The Sokoto State governor is a member of Nigeria’s ruling party APC and a close ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is waging war against corruption.
cpcnews.org 