Former Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Babayo Gamawa, and five others were on Wednesday arraigned before the Federal High Court in Bauchi over allegations of laundering over ₦500 million while in office.

Others arraigned along with Gamawa were Ahmed Dandija, former Secretary to Bauchi State Government; former Commissioner for Land and Survey, Dahiru Madaki and one Aminu Hamayo.

Also arraigned were Sanusi Sarkin-Aska, the former Special Adviser on Pilgrims Affairs to former governor of the state, Alhaji Isa Yuguda and a former member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Aliyu Jallam.

Mr. Gamawa, who is the current National Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his co-defendants were brought before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Counsel to the EFCC, Abubakar Aliyu had urged the court to commence trial of five out of the six accused persons since the sixth accused person, Alhaji Ahmed Dandija was not in court after being served court processes alongside others.

Mr. Aliyu suggested that the court should in the alternative expunge the name of Mr. Dandija whom he said had embarked on a medical trip abroad, from the list and the five others should be arraigned.

The counsel urged the court to issue a bench warrant on Mr. Dandija so that he could be brought to court upon his return for arraignment after being served with notice on motion by his counsel.

On his part, counsel to Mr. Dandija, Nasiru Malam urged the court not to exclude his client from the list because they were jointly arraigned for the same offence.

Mr. Malam further urged the court not to arraign his client in absentia as he had travelled out of the country for medical treatment and, moreover, as his client was yet to be served with a notice.

In his ruling, Justice Mohammed Shittu said that the court could not arraign the accused persons because the sixth defendant was not in court as according to him, the case was criminal in nature, and therefore the defendant must be served in person to enable him appear before the court to take his plea.

He equally refused to issue a bench warrant on Mr. Dandaji, saying “It is in our practice that until a defendant refuses to accept a summon, he cannot be issued warrant of arrest.”

The judge therefore ordered that Mr. Dandija be properly served a notice before the adjourned date of September 25 and released the five other defendants on administrative bail.