The Supreme Court, Friday, upheld the judgement of Court of Appeal, Kaduna, which ordered the trial of ex-governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, on allegation of N11 billion fraud.
Shema, who was governor of the state between 2007 and 2011 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is currently facing trial alongside three others, viz. Sani Makana, Lawal Safana and Ibrahim Dankaba for financial scam.
Delivering judgement on the interlocutory application, a full panel of the court led by Justice Sidi Bage, held that the constitution empowered the EFCC to prosecute suspects of graft allegations at federal and state levels.
“The action of the ex-governor and the three other applicants cannot tempt the court to over-rule itself.
“The apex court took time to explain the powers of the EFCC to work within both federal laws and penal codes of states in ex-governors’ Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame similar applications.
“The full strength of the court met over this application and we have resolved not to over-rule ourselves on application that is clearly meritorious
“In the circumstance, the application is dismissed on the grounds that the EFCC has the powers to prosecute anybody found to have committed fraud in any part of the country.
“The panel therefore affirms the judgment of the Appeal Court, Kaduna, delivered on September 13, 2017, which mandated the applicants to submit themselves to trial at the High Court of Katsina’’, he said.
