Shema: Appeal Court adjourns case to Nov. 9

The Appeal Court sitting in Kaduna on Thursday adjourned hearing till Nov. 9, in the appeal filed by former Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema against his trial by a Katsina State High Court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Shema had approached the Appeal Court with an interlocutory application, to challenge the ruling of the high court.

The Katsina High Court had on March 29, 2017 refused Shema’s motion seeking the court to quash his trial by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC had arraigned the former Governor and three others before Justice Maikaita Bako for alleged fraud of N11 billion belonging to the State.

However, Bako could not go on with the case following an application brought before him by the accused persons for a stay of proceedings on the trial.

Counsel to Shema Akinlolu Kehinde had also told the court that the motion before the court of appeal had been assigned and scheduled for hearing on 25 May, 2017 and urged it to stay proceedings pending the decision of the appeal court.

The prosecution counsel, Lateef Fagbemi, who did not oppose the application, however, filed an application for amendment of the EFCC charge before the court.

Bako had granted the application for stay of proceedings but refused the prosecution’s application for amendment, saying it must wait until after the appeal court decision on the motion filed by the accused persons.

At the resumed hearing of the Appeal on Thursday, May 25, Counsel to Shema, J.B. Daudu submitted an oral application seeking a subsitution of the motion submitted earlier to the court.

Daudu told the Appeal Court that the motion submitted earlier was not clear and needed to be replaced with a clean copy.

The counsel also sought for adjournment to allow the court seek clearance on a motion on alleged constitutional breach and jurisdiction.

The applicant said in the motion that there must be seven Justices to hear case of that nature but only three Justices were handling the appeal.

Justice Ibrahim Shatta, supported by Justices Amina Augie and Adefope Okojie, granted Daudu’s motion for the substitution of document and adjourned till Nov. 9, to hear motion on Jurisdiction.

source: NAN