N400M ELECTION BRIBE: ABSENCE OF 6TH DEFENDANT STALLED ARRAIGNMENT OF THE FORMER BAUCHI STATE DEPUTY GOVERNOR,& 5 OTHERS TODAY.{PHOTOS}

     The absence of the former Secretary to the Government of Bauchi State, Ahmed Ibrahim Dandija stalled the arraignment of Babayo Garba Gamawa, Aminu Hammayo, Aliyu Abdullahi Jalam, Dahiru Madaki and Alhaji Sunusi Isa before Justice M. Shitu of the Federal High Court Bauchi on a five count charge bordering on Conspiracy and Money Laundering to the tune of N400 million by the Gombe office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. 
The absence of the former Secretary to the Government of Bauchi State, Ahmed Ibrahim Dandija stalled the arraignment of Babayo Garba Gamawa, Aminu Hammayo, Aliyu Abdullahi Jalam, Dahiru Madaki and Alhaji Sunusi Isa before Justice M. Shitu of the Federal High Court Bauchi on a five count charge bordering on Conspiracy and Money Laundering to the tune of N400 million by the Gombe office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. He was alleged to have sometimes in March, 2015 in Bauchi, Bauchi State within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court Bauchi agreed among other accused to accept cash payment exceeding the threshold provided by law, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (a ) and Punishable under Section 16 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) No. 1 2012.Investigation revealed that the money (Five Hundred Million Naira) which was signed and withdrawn from Fidelity Bank Plc on 27th March, 2015 by Babayo Garba Gamawa and Alhaji Aminu Hammayo were suspected to be part of the N23 billion allegedly diverted by the former Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison Madueke and deposited into Fidelity Bank through cash and wire transfer by some oil companies such as Northern Belt Gas Company, Midwestern Oil and Gas Company, Actus Integrated Investments Company among others. The court had fixed today, Wednesday June 6, 2018 for arraignment. But when the case was called, only the first to the fifth defendants were present.Counsel to the sixth defendant, Nasiru Balan Malam, informed the court that his client was absent due to illness which necessitated him to travel abroad for medical attention. In view of that, he asked for an adjournment to enable his client appear in court.But prosecution counsel, Abubakar Aliyu, drewn the attention of the court to the fact that the 6th defendant jumped administrative bail when he was invited by the EFCC to come and receive the charges alongside other defendants.The development made the prosecution to serve the sixth defendant through substitution service. While citing section 379 (3) of the Administrative of the Criminal Justice Act 2015, the prosecution counsel urged the court that the case be continued. Aliyu also cited Section 83 (1) (a), 113, 114 and 184 of ACJA that the court can issue summon or in addition to issue warrant of arrest to compel his appearance.In his ruling, Justice Shitu ruled that the accused cannot be arraigned in absentia; he however said the service through substituted means was in order.While adjourning the case to 25th September, 2018 for arraignment, Justice Shitu stated that "for the avoidance of doubt, the 6th defendant is hereby summoned to appear in court on the next adjourned date".More photos below.