The Zamfara State High court has fixed November 29 and 30 for the continuation of hearing in the N1 billion alleged fraud case involving former Governor of the state, Ahmed Yerima.

Yerima had been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, before Justice Bello Shinkafi, on a 19-count charge of misappropriation of a N1billion loan meant for the repair of a collapsed dam and the compensation of the victims.

The ICPC alleged that Yerima had diverted N385.5million and various other sums from the said loan, thereby contravening Section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

Yerima was granted bail in the sum of N100 million and two sureties who must own landed properties worth N150million, but since then, the case could not continue due to Justice Shinkafi’s ill–health, prompting the ICPC to apply for the transfer of the case to another judge.

At the resumed hearing, before the new trial judge Bello Gummi, the ICPC presented its first witness in the trial in the person of Abdulrazak Abdulkadir, an agent in the Financial Investigation Unit, FIU, of the anti-corruption agency.

Lead prosecution counsel, Christiana Onuogu, leading several other ICPC Lawyers, during the examination-in-chief, led the witness to present about 15 exhibits in the case against the former governor.

However, the defence counsel prayed the court for adjournment in line with the provision of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution to enable him study the volumes of documents tendered by the prosecution team.

Consequently, Justice Gummi adjourned the case to November 29 and 30, for cross- examination of the prosecution witness and continuation of hearing.