The trial of Abubakar Sambo, the Director of Finance and Account of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), could not proceed at the Federal High Court in Abuja due to his hearing loss.

Ishaka Dikko, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who appeared for Mr Sambo, told trial judge Musa Liman about his client’s ill-health.

When the matter was called for commencement of trial and the defendant walked into the dock, Mr Dikko stood up and told the court that they were not ready to proceed with the hearing.

The senior lawyer told the court that Mr Sambo had been battling with and managing the hearing challenge for some time.

He said the defendant’s present state of health was that he could hardly hear when one speaks to him, except if it reduced into writing.

Mr Liman, however, asked Mr Dikko if there was any medical report to certify Mr Sambo’s state of health but the lawyer apologised, saying he only got to know the latest development about three days earlier.

When the judge asked Osuobeni Akponimisingha, lawyer to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), for his view, the prosecuting counsel said he had a witness in court and was ready for the trial.

He, however, did not oppose Mr Dikko’s application for adjournment.

The judge, Mr Liman, then fixed 6 November for the trial.

Mr Sambo, who was re-arraigned before Mr Liman on 28 January is being prosecuted on N1.84 billion fraud charges.

He was re-arraigned on three counts of diverting the funds to personal accounts.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts, and was granted bail on the earlier conditions given him by a sister court, presided over by Bolaji Olajuwon.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Olajuwon had, on 24 June 2024, granted Mr Sambo bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in like sum.

The judge held that the sureties must have landed property within the jurisdiction of the court with original certificates of occupancy (CofO) which must be deposited with the deputy chief registrar of the court.

She equally ordered the sureties to provide affidavits of their tax clearance in the last three years with a one passport photograph each.

Mr Olajuwon adjourned the matter until 17 October 2024 for commencement of trial.

However, the judge was transferred to another division of the court, making the case to start denovo (afresh).

NAN reports that the anti-corruption commission had, in the case marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/209/2024, charged Mr Sambo as sole defendant.

In the case filed on 10 May 2024 by Mr Akponimisingha, an Assistant Chief Legal Officer at ICPC, the commission alleged that Mr Sambo sometime in March 2023, while being the Payment Finaliser on the Government integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform of REA, paid a total of N1.84 billion (N1,835,000,000.00) for a purported project supervision exercise without requisite approval.

The commission said he actually paid the money in different tranches for the use of Henrrientta Onomen Okojie, Asuni Adejoke Aminat, Usman Kwakwa, Laure Shehu Abduilahi, Emmanuel Pada Titus and Musa Umar Karaye , thereby contributing to the economic adversity of the REA.

The commission said the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 68 of the Public Enterprise Regulatory Commission Act, CAP. P39, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

In count two, Mr Sambo was accused of using his access password to access the REA’s GIFMIS platform and finalised the payment of N1.84 billion in different tranches for the use of Okojie, Aminat, Kwakwa, Abdullahi, Titus and Karaye for a purported project supervision exercise without authority.

The offence was said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 6(4) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015.

In count three, Mr Sambo was alleged to have conferred corrupt advantage on Okojie, Aminat, Kwakwa, Abdullahi, Titus and Karaye when he used his access password to access the REA’s GIFMIS platform and finalised the payment of N1.84 billion in different tranches for their use for a purported project supervision exercise without requisite approvals.

The ICPC said the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

NAN reports that Karaye, Titus and Okojie were also arraigned before trial judge Emeka Nwite of a sister court on separate case of four counts preferred against them.

While Karaye and Titus were arraigned before Mr Nwite on 13 June 2024, Okojie was arraigned on 14 June 2024.

Usman Ahmed Kwakwa was also arraigned on 13 June 2024 in a separate case before the judge.

Each of them was granted bail in the sum of N50 million with two sureties in like sum.

(NAN)