APC chieftain lands in prison for accusing Bauchi gov of stealing 1bn

Bauchi State Police Command on Thursday, arraigned a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Umar Mai Fata, before the Chief Magistrate Court 11, for allegedly making a false accusation on a radio program against the state Governor Bala Mohammed.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Ayuba Danladi, filed the suit on behalf of the state Commissioner of Police.

He told the court that Mai Fata alleged that Bala took the sum of N1 billion from government coffers to fund the recent governorship election in Bayelsa State where he served as Chairman of the PDP campaign committee.

During the sitting, counsel to the respondent, Barrister Usman Bappha, asked the court to give him five minutes to go out and bring some legal documents for their defense.

However, after 30 minutes when the lawyer failed to return to the courtroom, the prosecutor urged the court to adjourn hearing until when the defense counsel is around.

In her ruling, the presiding Magistrate Safiya Doma adjourned sitting to 23rd December 2019 and also ordered that the accused person be remanded in prison till the next adjourned date.