Court grants Niger PDP chairman N150m bail for alleged N937m fraud

On Friday, June 23, 2017 a Minna High
Court granted Mr Tanko Beji, Chairman of the
PDP in Niger who is standing trial on alleged
N937million fraud, bail in the sum of
N150million.
Justice Aliyu Mayaki, who granted the bail, also
ordered Beji to produce two sureties in like sum,
who must also have landed property worth not
less than N200million within the court’s
jurisdiction.
According to the judge, the prosecution failed to
give cogent reasons why the defendant should
not be granted bail.
The judge had on Monday ordered the remand in
prison custody of Beji, and fixed Friday, June 23,
to rule on his bail application. Beji was arraigned
on Monday by the EFCC in amended charges,
alongside former Gov. Babangida Aliyu and
former Commissioner of Environment, Mr Umar
Nasko.
They were accused of criminal breach of trust,
punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code
Law of Niger, Cap 94, Vol. 3 Laws of 1992. The
PDP chairman was accused of aiding and abetting
Aliyu to convert N937million withdrawn from the
state security account in 2011 to personal use.
The case was adjourned until Sept. 11 to Sept.15
for hearing of the substantive suit.