By Robert Egbe

Four years after he was arraigned for allegedly stealing N156.4 million, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Haruna Jauro, was re-arraigned on Monday for the same offence.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) re-arraigned Jauro, Dr. Dauda Bawa and a firm, Thlumbau Enterprises Limited, before the Federal High Court (FHC) in Lagos.

The commission said the accused stole the sum from NIMASA on or about January 6, 2014, in Lagos, in contravention of Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 2012, and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

Each defendant pleaded not guilty to a 19-count charge before Justice Chuka Obiozor.

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EFCC counsel, Mr. Usman Buhari, applied for a date for the commencement of trial and to make an order remanding the defendants in correctional custody.

But defence counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN), opposed him and prayed the court to allow the defendants continue on the N5 million bail granted them four years ago.

In a ruling, Justice Obiozor granted Ojo’s bail request and adjourned till March 17, 2021 for commencement of trial.

The defendants were first arraigned for the alleged offence on April 12, 2016, but before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, also of the Federal High Court.