A High Court in Minna on Wednesday granted a former Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu, and his former Chief of Staff, Umar Nasko, bail.
On April 25, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arraigned Messrs Aliyu, and Umar, who is the 2015 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, before Justice Aliyu Maiyaki of the Federal High Court sitting in Minna, Niger State on a 6-count charge of fraud to the tune of N3billion.
Mr Nasko also served as chief of staff and commissioner for Environment under Mr Aliyu’s administration between 2007 and 2015.
Mr Aliyu, among other things, allegedly diverted N520m from the Niger State Government Security Account domiciled in Zenith Bank between January and March 2011.
Within the same period, the former governor also allegedly diverted a separate N1.7bn from the same account.
Messrs Aliyu and Nasko allegedly diverted about N1.09bn, which was proceeds of 16 per cent shares of Niger State in the North South Power Company Limited.
The alleged crimes are believed to be in contravention of sections 97 and 312 of the Penal Code.
