$1.3m Scam: Change of Counsel Stalls Kano APC Candidate’s Arraignment

The arraignment of the Kano Central senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Abdulkarim Abdulsalam before Honourable Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court Kano suffered yet another setback on Monday, owing to a change of counsel by the defence.

It is the sixth time the arraignment would be pushed forward at the instance of the defence.

Zaura is being arraigned for allegedly defrauding a Kuwaiti citizen of the sum of $1,320 million under the pretext that he is a property in Dubai, Kuwait and other Arab countries.

“When the matter was called, Basil Hemba, who held the brief of Ahmed Raji, SAN, informed the court that they are the new counsel for the defendant and needed time to study the case. He consequently asked for an adjournment.

“Prosecuting counsel Aisha Habib objected to the application for an adjournment but the court overruled her on the grounds that the new counsel has right under the law to study the case before diving into the matter,” the EFCC said in a statement obtained by our correspondent on Monday.

Consequently, Justice Yunusa adjourned the case to March 1, 2023 for arraignment.