advertisement


ICPC arraigns whistle-blower over raid on Namadi Sambo's residence

 News By: Urowayino Warami    Friday, July 14, 2017

By Ben Agande

KADUNA-The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, yesterday, arraigned one Abubakar Sani, who allegedly provided the false information that led to the raid on the Kaduna house of former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, three weeks ago.

In a two-count charge filed against the accused at the Kaduna State High Court, ICPC alleged that the accused, on June 21, gave false information to its officer.

A principal legal officer and counsel to the commission, Elijah Akaakohol, who read out the charge before Justice Aliyu Tukur, said: "That sometime in 2013, you conveyed huge sums of money both in Nigerian and foreign currencies from Abuja Airport to a house in Ungwan Rimi GRA, Kaduna, on the directive of a retired Army officer, which money you suspected to be ill-gotten wealth and still laying in boxes in that said house at the moment of your report;

"And of which you made the ICPC officer to carry out a sting operation that turned out to be false. You, thereby, committed an offence contrary to, and punishable under Section 64 (3) of the Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Act, 2000."

The commission's counsel also told the court that Abubakar Sani also made a false statement to one Mr. Olusegun Adigun, an official of the commission in the course of the exercise of his duties as a public officer, contrary to Section 25(1) and punishable under Section 25(1b) of the ICPC Act, 2000.

The accused, who was in court without legal representations, pleaded not guilty.

The presiding judge directed that the accused be remanded in prison's custody and adjourned the case till Thursday, November 2, for hearing.

Before the adjournment, Justice Tukur urged the accused to get a counsel to stand for him at the next hearing of the case.

Recall that ICPC raided the Kaduna residence of the former Vice President on June 28, but reportedly found nothing incriminating.