There was a mild drama in court on Thursday during the re-arraignment of a former governor of Adamawa state, Murtala Nyako, and his son Abdulaziz, on allegation of N29 billion thefts.
The drama started playing out shortly after the court clerk started reading the charges to Nyako for his plea.
The former governor suddenly exclaimed from the dock, “I do not have the faintest idea about the allegation.”
“You want to send me to jail so that I can die?” Nyako yelled back at the court registrar immediately after one of the charges was read to him.
Although he made some other allegations from the dock without mentioning names, alleging that four assassination attempts were made on his life.
He alleged further that he was returned to court on frivolous charges when enemies’ plot to kill him failed.
It took the intervention of his son to calm the situation as his reaction temporarily disrupted proceedings.
Nyako is being re-arraigned before Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is prosecuting the Nyakos alongside Zulkifik Abba, Abubakar Aliyu, Blue Opal Ltd, Tower Assets Management Ltd and Crust Energy Ltd, on a 37-count charge of criminal conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money laundering.
Nyakos’ trial, it would be recalled, passed through Justices Evoh Chukwu, Okon Abang and now Peter Lifu.
At the resumed trial, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, told the court that former President Muhammadu Buhari had tried to have the case “settled out of court on account of Nyako’s age.” Nyako is currently 81 year old.
He stated further that the former President had instructed the former AGF Abubakar Malami to liaise with the EFCC for a plea bargain.
“But politics got in the way of the negotiation because the then Attorney-General (Mr Malami) wanted to be governor of Kebbi State,” he said.
While also confirming the development, the prosecutor, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, told the court that there were moves by the Nyakos to make a plea bargain with the government.
But while raising an objection to the prosecution’s counsel statement, Aondoakaa explained that “plea bargain” was misleading, saying it meant an admission of guilt by the defendants in the case.
“I would like to clarify that it was not necessarily a plea bargain but to settle the matter. But Malami was not available due to politics. He wanted to be governor of Kebbi State,” Aondoakaa told the court.
The judge thereafter admitted them to bail on the previous bail conditions and adjourned to 10th May for trial.
