20th June, 2018
Lanre Babalola
After eluding operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for over one month, former governor of Kebbi State, Usman Saidu Dakingari was on Wednesday served with the fifteen count charge by the bailiff of the Federal High Court Kebbi at around 1:51pm in the defendant’s residence at GRA Birnin Kebbi.
The 15-count charge was served on the defendant through one of his household, Mohammed Danladi who collected the charge and the court order issued by the court granting the complainant leave to serve Dakingari alongside the 2nd and 3rd defendants.
The court further ordered the defendants to appear before it on June 25, 2018 to take their plea.
Dakingari was supposed to be arraigned today, June 20, before the Federal High Court, Kebbi alongside three others, Sunday Dogonyaro, Abdullahi Yelwa and Garba Rabiu Kamba for allegedly receiving cash sum N700,000,000 from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deizani Alison -Madueke.
The arraignment was however stalled because the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants evaded service and refused to honour invitation by the Commission.
Consequently, the prosecution was only able to produce the fourth defendant, Garba Rabiu Kamba before the court.
However, prosecuting counsel, Johnson Ojogbane applied for an order of court pursuant to section 382(5) of ACJA for leave to serve the defendants through substituted means.
The application was granted as prayed and the matter was subsequently adjourned to June 25, 2018 for arraignment.