A Minna high court presided over by Justice Mohammed Mohammed has assumed Jurisdiction over the case of alleged criminal conspiracy and misappropriation of over N2.8billion fraud involving former governor of Niger state, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, and Umaru Nasko, a former commissioner of Environment.
Ruling on motion of preliminary objection on the jurisdiction of the court on the case on Thursday, by counsel to the former, Olajide Ayodele SAN, Justice Mohammed held that charges against the accused persons were based on state matter and offenses allegedly committed in the state.
Ayodele argued in the preliminary objection that the court lack the jurisdiction to entertain the case praying that the court discontinue to case.
However the court in a ruling after considering the objection to the motion by the prosecuting counsel representing the EFCC JS Okutopa SAN, insisted that he has the jurisdiction to hear the case and proceeded with the case.
In the case, Niger state chairman of PDP, Tanko Beji was recently joined as defendant and transferred from Justice Aliyu Maiyaki who handled the case from inception almost two years ago to Justice Mohammed as a result of which it started afresh.
Counsel to EFCC presented the first witness who investigated the matter, Baba Mohammad to gave evidence in the court on the crimes allegedly committed, between 2007 and 2015 amounting to N28 billion through amounts withdrawn from the Government House accounts.
