The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced that it will arrest AbdulKareem AbdulSalam Zaura, a Kano central senatorial candidate for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
This was revealed to journalists by EFCC lawyer Ahmad Rogha on Monday during the resumption of Zaura’s criminal trial at the Federal High Court in Kano.
Although the arraignment trial was canceled due to the absence of the trial Judge, who was scheduled to attend another national issue outside Kano, the EFCC lawyer stated that Zaura was required to report to the commission.
According to him, ” We are looking for Zaura and he would be arrested as soon as we found him. Ordinarily, he was supposed to be in our custody and the court has affirmed that but I can assure you he would be arrested and brought to court for the next adjourned date 30th January 2023″.
In his counterargument, counsel for the accused, Ibrahim Garba Waru, criticized the EFCC’s position and insisted that the commission lacked legal authority to arrest his client.
When asked why Zaura did not appear for arraignment, Waru stated that there was no need for him to do so because the court was not in session.
The trial Judge, Justice Mohammad Yunusa, ordered the EFCC to produce the accused person for arraignment on the charge of fraud against a Kuwaiti national before the adjourned date.
Justice Yunusa dismissed Zaura’s application, which questioned the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case and other issues such as whether the accused must appear in person to enter a plea.
Barrister Ibrahim Waru, Zaura’s attorney, had argued that his client was not required to appear in court because his appeal was pending before the Supreme Court.
The arraignment has been postponed until January 30th, 2023.
