Katsina withdraws ‘N11bn fraud’ suit against Shema

The Katsina state government says it has withdrawn a criminal suit against Ibrahim Shema over an alleged misappropriation of N11 billion belonging to the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).

In 2016, the state and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Shema, a former governor of the state, on a 24-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, fraud, conspiracy, and forgery, among others.

He was arraigned alongside three others  — Lawal  Safana, Ibrahim  Dankaba, and Sani Makana.

They all pleaded not guilty.

Speaking to journalists at the government house in Katsina, Abdulrahman Umar, the state’s director of public prosecution, said an application was filed before the court to discontinue the prosecution of the suit.

Umar said a separate suit filed by the EFCC is still ongoing.

“Today being Monday the 13 of February 2023, we were in high court number 3 where the trial of the former governor of Katsina state, Ibrahim Shehu Shema, is being conducted,” he said.

“We went with a nolle prosequi, which is a power of any state attorney-general to either institute an action or criminal case against any person in Nigeria before any court of law or take over any criminal proceedings against any person and as well as the power to discontinue any case at any stage of the proceedings before judgment is entered. 

“The attorney-general exercised that power and we went with it and the court gladly accepted that position of the attorney-general to discontinue the case. 

“To that effect, the former governor and Lawal Dankaba were discharged from all charges against them. 

“That is the position of the state government at the moment but the EFCC’s case is still ongoing.”