Court Drops Charges in P&ID Scam Following Ex-Director’s Mysterious Demise

In a dramatic turn of events at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, the case against Grace Taiga, former Director of Legal at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, was struck out on Wednesday. Taiga had been embroiled in allegations of bribery about the contentious Gas Supply Processing agreement between Process and Industrial Development and the Federal Government. The legal saga commenced on September 20, 2019, with Taiga’s initial arraignment under the case marked FCT/HC/CR/504/19, and saw subsequent amendments to the charges against her, leading to re-arraignments on October 3, 2020, and January 10, 2021.

The amended 13-count charge alleged that Taiga received a bribe through her offshore bank account in connection with the signing of the controversial GPSA. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) contended that she violated various laws by agreeing without the requisite approval from the Federal Executive Council and without obtaining a Certificate of No Objection from the Bureau of Public Enterprise. Throughout the proceedings, Taiga maintained her innocence, pleading not guilty to the charges leveled against her.

Following the EFCC’s closure of its case on February 27, 2023, after presenting eight witnesses, the court adjourned till November 4, 2023, for Taiga to mount her defense. However, on the slated date, her lawyer, Daniel Alumun, delivered the shocking news of her demise on August 1, 2023, at an Abuja hospital. This revelation prompted Alumun to petition the court for the dismissal of the case, a plea that met with initial skepticism from the EFCC, which demanded proof in the form of Taiga’s death certificate.

During the recent court session on Wednesday, Alumun furnished the Certified True Copy of Taiga’s death certificate, ultimately leading to the dismissal of the case against her.