By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
The trial of the former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu and his erstwhile Chief of Staff, Umar Mohammed Nasko began on Wednesday at the High Court II in Minna amidst water tight security within and outside the precinct of the state High Court.
Dr. Babangida Aliyu is facing a 97-count charge as raised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC).
He is being charged along with Umar Nasko. Nasko was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 state governorship election.
The trial of the two brought all official engagements at the High Court to a standstill as every case earlier scheduled for that day in other courts within the High Court were technically subsumed by the high profile corruption case involving the former Governor and Umar Nasko.
Lawyers from within and outside the state who were having one case or the other at the High Court were dissapointed. Many people were either not allowed into the High Court premises located along keteren-Gwari road or those who eventually got access beyond security checks, got to their offices but met them empty.
Security situation in and around the Court and elsewhere in the town especially along the Highway at the adjoining areas to the High Court was so tensed.
All roads network linking the Court area were cordoned off by stern looking Police men even as vehicular movements towards the Kpakungu to Mobil area were diverted for security reasons.
Most of the staff who reported to duty either headed to the Court Il where Aliyu and Nasko were being tried for charges bothering on financial recklessness or simply left their offices as the crowd besieged the offices.
Police in Armoured Personnel Carriers, (APC) were stationed at strategic points linking Keteren-Gwari round-about to Western By-Pass in case for any eventualities.
New Nigerian correspondent reports that the number of combined security personnel inside the Court room had outnumbered all the other persons inside the Court during the proceedings.
As at 2:15pm Tuesday afternoon, the Counsels on both sides were still arguing on the technicalities of bail application for the former Governor who appeared calm and unruffled.
Counsels to the former Governor had pressed for bail to their client even before the charges were read through but counsel to the appellant had opposed such a move.
Distances outside the Court however, camps of some recalcitrant youths who had mobilised to disrupt proceedings for and against the duo of former Governor Dr. Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu and Nasko were kept at safe distance away from the court premises as they were not allowed to get anywhere near the Court premises.
At the popular Mobil Roundabout, a detachment of Policemen were stationed at strategic points overlooking both axis of the road leading to the Keteran Gwari, Total -Bosso roads and the terminus at the neck of the roundabout a volatile security point.
