The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has taken the case against former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, and former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger State, Tanko Beji, to the Court of Appeal.

This comes after Justice Abdullahi Mukailu of the Niger State High Court in Minna granted a no-case ruling in their favor on December 7, 2023.

The EFCC had initially filed a seven-count charge against Aliyu, Beji, and a former Commissioner for Environment and Chief of Staff to Aliyu, Umar Nasko, for conspiracy, abetment, and criminal breach of trust. The case was later reassigned to Justice Abdullahi Mukailu, and the EFCC presented 11 witnesses and over 400 exhibits before closing its case, as stated in a statement by EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale.

The three defendants submitted a no-case application, and on December 7, 2023, His Lordship granted the application in favor of Aliyu and Beji, while directing Nasko to begin his defense.

However, dissatisfied with the ruling on Aliyu and Beji’s no-case submission, the EFCC filed a Notice of Appeal on January 10, 2024, stating that a prima facie case had been established against them. The Commission is hopeful that the Court of Appeal will address the appeal appropriately.

In a surprising turn of events, on January 15, 2024, during the trial of Nasko, the Attorney General (AG) of Niger State appeared in court without prior notice and applied to take over the case from the EFCC. Four hours later, the AG made another appearance and entered a nolle prosequi, leading to Nasko’s discharge.

Despite these developments, the EFCC remains determined to pursue its appeal against Aliyu and Beji at the Court of Appeal, armed with all the evidence against them. The Commission is committed to fulfilling its mandate of combating economic and financial crimes without any bias or favoritism, as stated in the concluding remarks of the statement.