The Federal High Court in Kano on Monday turned down a request to move the alleged N950m fraud case of a former governor of the state, Ibrahim Shekarau, from Kano State to Abuja for security reasons.
The request was made by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission but Shekarau, through his lawyer, Sam Ologunorisa (SAN), opposed it, insisting that he wanted to be tried in Kano State.
The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, J.A. Ojogbane, had told the court that his life and those of three prosecution witnesses were being threatened by Shekarau’s supporters, adding that they did not feel safe.
He said, for instance, mayhem broke out on the court premises between Shekarau’s supporters and security men on the day that the ex-governor was arraigned.
He said operatives of the EFCC narrowly escaped being lynched in the mayhem and were held hostage in their office till about 8pm on that day.
Ojogbane said his witnesses had developed cold feet as they feared that they would be attacked in Kano by Shekarau’s supporters.
He begged the judge to transfer the case out of Kano State to Abuja.
He said, “Considering the traumatic experience we went through during the arraignment, and the series of threats we have received so far, the prosecution is very apprehensive.