The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has withdrawn its amended charges against Alhaji Abdussalam Abdulkarim Zaura, the Kano Central senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in an alleged $1.2 million financial fraud case.
The presiding judge of the Kano Federal High Court 2, Justice Muhammad Nasir Yunusa, accepted the EFCC’s request to withdraw the charges after the commission failed to produce prosecution witnesses to prove the criminal charges against the defendant.
During the Wednesday sitting, Aisha A.T. Habeeb, counsel to EFCC, informed the court that the withdrawal of the application became necessary to prevent a possible delay in the case.
Zaura’s counsel, Isyaka M. Dikko, had filed a motion on notice seeking to strike out the amended charge for lacking substance and a stay of proceedings pending the hearing and determination of an application on a related matter before the Supreme Court.
Justice Yunusa ordered the parties to provide the necessary documents to back their claims, citing previous cases that had disallowed criminal trials and allowed concurrent proceedings. The case will resume on July 13, 2023, for a ruling on the application.
This development is a setback for the EFCC, as the case against Zaura has been prolonged, with several retrials involving a Kuwaiti national and subsequent appeals.
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