The arraignment of Mohammed Nasir Umar, a former Assistant Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Amobi Chidozie and Ojuolape Oyemomi by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over conspiracy to confer corrupt advantage on themselves, was stalled at an Abuja High Court.
The arraignment of the trio which had been delayed since 2013 due to the death of one of the accused persons, as well as the ailment of Nasir Umar suffered another set back due to absence of the counsel to the accused.
At the mention of the matter before Justice Husseini Baba, two of the accused who were physically present in court failed to announce their appearances when the court clerk sought for the presence of the accused, a situation which angered one of the prosecuting counsels from ICPC.
The arraignment of the accused, is in respect of their conspiracy to use their public offices to confer on themselves corrupt advantage, by allegedly offering gratification to some public officers in the office of the Accountant General of the Federation as an inducement for extension of time in remittance of N1.2billion unspent funds belonging to the NSCDC, in December 2004.
At the purported arraignment, prosecuting counsel representing ICPC, informed the court that the commission had problems in serving the first accused for quite sometime, as he was said to be infected with cancer of the leg and where he was said to be receiving treatment had been unaccessible.
In view of this, counsel to the ICPC prayed the court for an adjournment to enable him get the accused to court for arraignment.
Justice Baba upon this prayer, granted the plea and adjourned the matter to 30 July 2015 for arraignment.
The accused are facing six count charge filed by ICPC in which they were alleged to have conspired and also used their public offices to offer gratification to some public officers of the office of the Accountant General of the Federation in the sum of N1.5 million as an inducement.
The trio, will also be facing trial for the transfer of the sum of N8.23 million meant for overhead vote to personnel vote, an offence contrary and punishable under section 22 (5) of the corrupt practices and other related offences Act 2000.
If convicted, the accused persons might be facing up to five years imprisonment with hard labour.
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