A Federal High Court sitting in Dutse, Jigawa, yesterday dismissed a N36 billion corruption lawsuit against Alhaji Saminu Turaki, the former governor of Jigawa.

In a judgment, Justice Hassan Dikko dismissed the case due to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s lack of diligence in prosecuting the case (EFCC).

Dikko also released Turaki and directed the EFCC to take appropriate action when they are ready to proceed with the matter.

Earlier, the Defence Counsel, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, requested that the case against the first defendant be dismissed for lack of diligence. Aondoakaa claimed that the matter was scheduled for hearing but that neither the prosecution lawyer nor the witnesses were there.

He added that yesterday’s sitting was the sixth adjournment since the case was heard in Dutse by the High Court.

Turaki, who was governor of Jigawa from 1999 to 2007, was originally charged by the EFCC on July 13, 2007, before Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja on a 32-count allegation of alleged embezzlement of N36 billion while in office.

After successfully challenging the geographical jurisdiction of the Federal High Court in Abuja to hear the case, the matter was relocated to the Federal High Court, Dutse in 2011.

He was afterwards re-arrested in the Dutse Division of the Federal High Court on the same 32-count charge.