Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
The Economic and Finance Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arraign a former Minister of Water Resources and immediate past deputy Governor of Sokoto State Alhaji Murkhtar Shagari before a Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto on Tuesday.
Alongside Shagari is the 2015 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Abdullah Wali, the PDP State Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Milgoma, a former Commissioner, Alhaji Ibrahim Gidado and Alhaji Nasiru Bafarawa, a younger brother to the former governor of the state, Attahiru Bafarawa.
The PDP chieftains are accused of having conspired among themselves to receive cash payments of N500,000,000 from one Abdulrahaman Ibrahim without transacting through a financial institution prior to the 2015 General Elections.
The money was believed to be part of their participation in the sharing of the $115 million largesse from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources intended to influence the outcome of the election.
The EFCC operatives brought the PDP chieftains to the court premises at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, and are currently being waiting for court session to take their pleas as at the time filing this report.