Former Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Saidu Usman Nasamu Dakingari, has been docked before Justice Ismail Haruna Bashir of Kebbi State High Court 2 in Birnin Kebbi, over alleged misapplication of the sum of N1, 094,320,000.00 belonging to the State.

Dakingari was accused by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of conniving with the then Commissioner of Finance, Mohammed Bello Tunga and the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Garba Rabiu Kamba to defraud the state of the sum of N349,475,000.
The fund was meant for the provision of power generators and “other logistics” for all polling units in Kebbi State for the 2015 general elections.

Tunga and Kamba are already facing prosecution by the Commission at the Kebbi State High Court. However, after the commencement of proceedings yesterday, the court was informed that Tunga had passed on and his name was struck out.
Dakingari, who was Kebbi governor between 2007 and 2015, was further accused of conspiring with his associates to misappropriate the sum of N430, 000,000 which was released to provide logistics support for security agencies during the 2015 general elections.

He was also charged with siphoning N315, 000,000 which was approved and disbursed to enable Imams and Mallams organize sensitization and enlightenment programmes against religious incitement of supporters for the 2015 general elections in the 21 Local Government Areas of Kebbi State.

However, ICPC said its investigation revealed that the said amounts were shared among his political allies as no power generators were purchased nor was any Imam or Mallam among the beneficiaries of the sensitization money.

The former governor was therefore arraigned on a 6-count charge of offences bordering on criminal conspiracy, theft, conferring corrupt advantage on political cronies and using position for gratification.

Counsel to the accused person, Asiwaju Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, through a written application, sought the relief of the court to grant his client bail.

Bail was granted to him in the sum of N10m and one surety in like sum who must be resident and possess property worth N10m within the jurisdiction of the court.

The case has been adjourned to December 4 and 5 2018 for commencement of trial.

•Sourced from Daily Trust report