A Federal High Court in Damaturu, Yobe State has rejected applications seeking for “stay of proceedings” filed by a former Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Abdu Bulama and four others in a N450million (Four Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) fraud case.
Bulama was re-arraigned on November 8, 2021 alongside a former Commissioner for Integrated and Rural Development in Yobe State, Hon. Mohammed Kadai, Abba Gana Tata, Muhammad Mamu and Hassan Ibn Jaks.
They were re-arraigned on a seven count charge of criminal conspiracy and money laundering, following the judgment of the Appeal Court in Gombe State which upheld the argument of the EFCC that the Lower Court erred by discharging and acquitting the defendants following their ‘no case submission’ upon the closure of the prosecution’s case.
The ex-minister allegedly received the N450m from Diezani Alison- Madueke, a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, to influence the outcome of the 2015 Presidential election as the Coordinator of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 Re-election Campaign Committee in Yobe State.
Kadai was Deputy Coordinator, while the other three defendants were members of the committee.
At the resumed sitting on January 18, 2022, the defendants through their lawyers, J.J. Usman (SAN) and U.M. Isah informed the court that they have approached the Supreme Court to set aside the judgment of the appellate court which dismissed their no case submission and ordered a return to the Federal High Court in Yobe State for the continuation of trial.
