EFCC arrests ex-Jigawa Governor, Saminu Turaki

The Economic and Fi­nancial Crimes Com­mission (EFCC) yes­terday arrested the former governor of Jigawa State, Sen. Saminu Turaki.
The EFCC swooped on the governor at the Interna­tional Conference Centre, Abuja, during the launch of a book titled, ‘The First Regular Combatant: Briga­dier General Zakariya Mai­malari’, written by Haruna Paloma.
Turaki is currently stand­ing trial over alleged looting of N36bn when he was gov­ernor of Jigawa state from 1999 to 2007.
Turaki’s arrest was wit­nessed by a large crowd of people who attended the book launch, including for­mer President Olusegun Obasanjo; former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon; the National Security Advis­er, Babagana Moguno; the Chief of Staff to the Presi­dent, Abba Kyari; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen Tukur Buratai among others.
Turaki was also accused in court of using N12bn out of the N36bn to fund former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s failed third term bid in 2006.
Justice S. Yahuza gave the order for his arrest after Turaki failed to appear be­fore the court. The EFCC had hitherto declared him wanted in connection with the allegations. But attempts to execute the warrant failed as Turaki remained elusive.
It would be recalled that operatives of the EFCC last year stormed his house in a bid to execute an arrest warrant for Turaki who had failed to present himself for trial since 2011 when he was first charged with the 36 counts at the Fed­eral High Court in Dutse, Jigawa State.
The court had directed the Police Inspector Gener­al or his officers and opera­tives of the EFCC to effect his arrest and bring him before the court.
An EFCC official who craved anonymity said the suspect had been on the EFCC watch list for several months but had continued to beat their surveillance.
Turaki who was a sena­tor from 2007 to 2011 was first dragged before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in 2007 by the EFCC, on a 32 counts of embezzling N36bn while he was governor. The case was later moved to Federal High Court, Dutse after the governor challenged the ju­risdiction of the FCT court.