The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday said it has launched a manhunt for the arrest of Kano Central Senatorial candidate under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), AbdulKareem AbdulSalam Zaura (A.A Zaura).
Zaura (popularly known as A.A. Zaura) was accused of defrauding a Kuwaiti national of $1.3million, and was billed for arraignment after the Court of Appeal quashed the earlier discharge and acquittal judgment of the court and ordered his retrial.
This was revealed by the EFCC counsel, Ahmad Rogha, in an interview with journalists on Monday at the resumption of the criminal trial of $1.3 million slammed on A.A Zaura at the Federal High Court sitting in Kano.
The scheduled arraignment of A.A Zaura, however, could not be held because of the absence of the trial judge, who is said to be attending other national issues outside Kano.
The EFCC lawyer declared that Zaura was supposed to report himself to the commission.
“We are looking for Zaura and he will be arrested as soon as we find him. Ordinarily, he was supposed to be in our custody and the court has affirmed that, but I can assure you he would be arrested and brought to court for the next adjourned date January 30, 2023,” he said.
On his part, counsel to the accused person, Ibrahim Waru, faulted the position of EFCC insisting the Commission did not possess any legal authority to arrest his client.
When asked why Zaura refused to appear for arraignment, Waru said there was no need for him to appear since the court did not sit.
Before the adjourned date, the trial judge, Justice Mohammad Yunusa, ordered EFCC to produce the accused person for arraignment on the allegation of fraud against him by a Kuwaiti national.
Justice Yunusa had overruled Zaura’s application that challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case and other addresses bordering on whether the accused must appear in person to take plea.
Zaura’s attorney had argued that his client under the law was not compelled to appear before the court, insisting Zaura’s appeal was pending before the Supreme Court.
The arraignment was adjourned to January 30, 2023.