At least eight Sharia Court judges and seven Sharia Commission staff members have been apprehended in prison over the alleged diversion of N99 million, belonging to orphans in Kano state.
A magistrate court in Kano that was presided over by Mustapha Sa’ad Datti, had issued the remand order on Thursday, January 19, after charges had been brought against them of diverting N99 million by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.
Magistrate Datti had then directed that the defendants should remain behind bars, going forward to the next court sitting.
The defendants included Gazzali Wada, Sani Ali, Yusuf Abdullahi, Sani Uba Ali, Bashir Baffa, Hadi Tijjani Mu’azu, Alkasim Abdullahi, and Mustafah Bala.
The other defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Center facility were Abdullahi Sulaiman Zango, Bashir Ali Kurawa, Jaafar Ahmad, Adamu Balarabe, Aminu Abdulhadi, Garba Yusuf, and Usaina Imam.
As the case was presented, the judges and the staff were accused of conspiring, betrayal of trust, and thieving of N99 million, all of which the accused had pleaded not guilty to.
Accordingly, the lead counsel for the plaintiff, Zaharaddin Kofar Mata, had pleaded for an adjournment to present substantial evidence before the court.
The case was then finally adjourned to February 1, 2023.
