The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raided the Abuja home of former governor of Jigawa State Saminu Turaki.
Though it was not clear whether the former governor was arrested , his neighbors in the posh Aso Villa district of Abuja confirmed operatives of the anti-graft body were sighted entering Turaki’s compound at about 7pm .
A source at the EFCC also confirmed the raid but explained that the team only met the former governor’s family members. On why the commission went after him, the source explained the the operatives went to the house in a bid to execute a warrant for the arrest of the former governor who who he said had neglected to present himself for trial since 2011 when he was re-arraigned on a36 count charge at the Federal High Court Dutse, Jigawa State.
The source maintained that the commission has long being on the trail of the former senator and even had him on its watch-list, but “he has continued to evade arrest”.
It will be recalled that a Federal High Court in Dutse, the Jigawa capital, had issued a warrant directing the Inspector General of Police or his officers and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arrest Turaki and bring him before the court.
Justice S. Yahuza gave the order after Turaki failed to appear before the court.
The EFCC had previously declared him wanted.
The commission is prosecuting the former governor over alleged N36 billion theft and money laundering, a crime he allegedly committed when he was governor. Some of the charges read to the accused person by the court under Presiding Justice Shehu Yahaya, included N12 billion withdrawn from the state government treasury for financing former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term mission.
He was first arraigned by the EFCC before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in 2007 on a 32-count charge of misappropriating N36 billion when he was governor.
The Sun
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