June 29, 2022

Justice O.A. Adeniyi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, adjourned the trial of a former director, Legal Services of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Grace Taiga until September 29, 2022 for continuation of trial.

Taiga is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for an alleged fraud involving the Process and Industrial Development, (P&ID).

In a statement by the EFCC, at the sitting, defence counsel, Daniel Alumun, urged the court to grant an adjournment on the grounds that the defendant was on admission at the Garki Hospital, where she is also scheduled to undergo dialysis.

Alumun further apologized to the court over his inability to present the defendant’s medical report. “Our major challenge has been obtaining report from the hospital. When I spoke to the daughter this morning for the report, she said the senior consultant who is supposed to sign it is not around, and we noticed that the hospital is reluctant to sign a report. In the circumstance, regrettably we are constrained to ask for a date,” he added.

Prosecution counsel, Abba Muhammad said he was only informed about the development in court, adding that he was in court with three witnesses, ready to testify.

“Our three witnesses are here… Mr. Dikko is also here, a former Director of Legal, at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and one of our investigators is also here. If the opportunity to take them today had materialized, we would have been left with only one witness to call and close the case of the prosecution. Apparently that is not going to be; it is unfortunate,” he lamented.

Justice Adeniyi adjourned the matter till September 29, 2022 for continuation of trial.