The Minna Chief Magistrate Court Number One has rescued himself from the case brought against Alhaji Usman Idris Makanta the Shikafa Nupe by the Niger State Police Command.
Usman Idris Makanta a one time governorship aspirant under the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Niger State was arraigned in court on Six count charges which include Cheating criminal breach of trust, aiding and abetting advance fee fraud and other fraud related offences act.
Idris Makanta who appear in court along with his relatives was ushered in the dock decked in white caftan with cap to match was in the dock for closer to two hours until his counsel applied to the court to allow him a chair to seat in the dock throughout the court proceedings.
However, the Presiding Chief Magistrate Mohammed Ibrahim Murtala did not take his plea as the Police prosecuting attorney applied to withdraw the earlier charge brought against the defendant who was alleged to have conspired along with some clusters to defraud an Agricultural organization in Niger State Niger Food.
Several calls put to him by the management of Niger Food to produce the clusters he stood as their guarantor he refused to pick their calls until he was picked by the operatives of the CP Monitoring Squad of Niger State Police Command.
His arrest according to Police Source was sequel to a petition filed against him by one Alfred Omotugba Chain Manager Niger Foods Security Logistics Company Minna on behalf of Niger Foods Limited to the office of the Commissioner of Police calling for Discret Investigation
He was earlier arraigned before the same court on the 3rd of November,by the men of the CP Monitoring Squad of the Niger State Police Command and was granted bail on Police First Information Report (FIR), marked MN/CR/CMC/55/2025
The Police prosecuting attorney,Asp Emmanuel Ochayi Monday re- arraigned Alhaji Usman Idris Makanta in court seeking the replacement of the Police First Information Report with the earlier one he was arraigned for, the request Chief Magistrate Murtala Mohammed Ibrahim refused.
Asp Emmanuel Ochayi had earlier told the court that the replacement of the First Information Report was as a result of a petition received from the management of Niger Food against the defendant applicant.
The Petition according to the Police Prosecuting attorney carried more information and allegations relating to the involvement of the Shikafa Nupe and the Clusters he surety to defraud the Niger Foods to the tune of( N3.7b) three point seven billion naira.
The defense counsel Mohammed Tsado Esq Mohammed had objected to the re-arraring the defendant in court and replacing the Police First Information Report FIR with the new one as requested by the Police prosecuting attorney.
Barrister Tsado argued that the defendant was granted bail after his earlier arraignment on the the 3rd of November,2025 “ after perfecting the bail condition the same police came back to re-arrest him.
“ There are contempt charges I filed against the Commissioner of Police at the Federal High Court which was served on him. My Lord, I want to request that you reject the request made to replace the new charge as brought by the police attorney because there is contempt filed at the Federal High Court “ Tsado told the court.
After all the submissions and their arguments, Chief Magistrate Mohammed Ibrahim Murtala ruled that “ have analysing both arguments from the prosecuting attorney and the defense counsel, the court lack the jurisdiction to try the case as a result of the amended charge of advance fee fraud which can only be try in either Federal High Court or state High Court.
“ With these amended charges I hereby disqualified myself from continuing with this case. I directed that within the next twenty four hours the police should hereby arraign the defendant in the Federal High Court for further prosecution. This is the submission of the court “ Chief Magistrate Mohammed Ibrahim Murtala held.
