A Federal High Court sitting in Dutse, Jigawa State, on Thursday, discharged and acquitted a former Governor of Jigawa State, Ibrahim Saminu Turaki of the N8.3bn corruption charges levelled against him by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Bellnewsonline.com reports that the presiding judge, Justice Hassan Dikko, who delivered the ruling, struck out all charges and discharged all the accused persons for want of diligent prosecution.
Turaki and three other companies had been standing trial since May 4, 2007.
The EFCC dragged Turaki and the companies to court over a 33-count charge bothering on diversification and misappropriation of state funds.
The former governor was arraigned by the EFCC before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on July 13, 2007.
In 2011, the case was, however, transferred to the Federal High Court, Dutse, after the former governor challenged the jurisdiction of the FCT division of the court.
A new judge, Justice Hassan Dikko, was reassigned to take over the case which was formerly being handled by Justice S. Yahuza before his retirement early in December.
The presiding judge, Justice Hassan Dikko, who delivered the ruling, struck out all charges and discharged all the accused persons for want of diligent prosecution.
The court further ordered that the travel document of the first accused person, Saminu Turaki, be released to him with immediate effect.
Reacting on the judgment, Barrister Saidu Tudunwada, who is one of the defense counsel, said that the court found merit in their application for the discharge of the accused person against the 33 counts.