Justice Chuka Obiozor, of a Federal High Court, Lagos, on Tuesday, fixed November 9, 2020, for re-arraignment of Mr. Haruna Baba Jauro, a former Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), over alleged N304. 1 million fraud.
To be re-arraigned alongside Baba Jauro on the said fraud charges is Dauda Bawa and a limited liability company, Thlumbau Enterprises Limited.
The defendants are to face 19 counts bordering on the offences leveled against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Their re-arraignment was sequel to the retirement of the former trial judge, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, who retired from the bench last year December.
They were first arraigned before Justice Olatoregun on April 12, 2016 and had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the resumed hearing of the charges against the defendants today, which was slater for mention, both counsel for the EFCC, Ebuka Okongwu and Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN), the lead counsel to Mr. Jauro and others, sought for adjournment of the matter, which was granted by the presiding judge.
Consequently, the matter was fixed for November 9, for their re-arraignment.
Jauro assumed leadership of NIMASA, after an erstwhile Director General of the agency, Patrick Apkobolokemi, who is also being prosecuted alongside others over multi billion naira fraud.
Jauro and others were accused of conspiring among themselves to defraud NIMASA to the tune of N304.1m between January 2014 and September 2015.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the accused converted the sums to their private use, an offence which it said contravened the provisions of section 15(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012.
