A former vice-chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Ibrahim Garba, was on Wednesday, March 29, arraigned before Justice R.M Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting Kaduna, Kaduna State on a nine-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of over N1 billion.

Garba was arraigned alongside a former Bursar of the school, Ibrahim Shehu Usman, after the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC filed corruption charges against them. They first appeared before the court in January 2023, after the anti-graft agency instituted the case against them. Read here.

A statement issued by the command spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, says the accused are alleged to have diverted the monies from different accounts of the institution meant for the renovation of the famous Kongo Conference Hotel, Zaria.

They, however, pleaded ‘not guilty’ when the charges were read to them. Counsel to the EFCC, Jamil Musa urged the court to remand the defendants at the Kaduna Correctional Centre and fix a date for the commencement of trial, while the defense counsels, urged the court to admit their clients to bail.

Justice Aikawa granted bail to the defendants in the sum of five million naira each with one surety each in like sum who must not be below Grade Level 15 in the civil service. They were also ordered to deposit their international passports with the court registry and are to further report to EFCC on the first Monday of every month until the court directs otherwise.

The case has been adjourned till June 20-21, 2023 for a hearing.