Three Nigerian ex-governors charged with corruption

ABUJA, July 13 (Reuters) Three Nigerian former state governors were charged with stealing public money today in a signal the new president intends to tackle corruption that has hindered development in Africa's most populous country.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought charges against the ex-governors of Plateau, Jigawa and Abia.

The charges were not read out in court but lawyers briefly showed charge sheets to journalists. They included embezzlement, money laundering and other corruption-related offences.

All three ex-governors were brought to court but the judge said they should be given time to read the detailed charges. He said they should be brought back on Monday to take a plea.

Nigeria, Africa's top oil producer, is ranked one of the most corrupt countries in the world by independent watchdog Transparency International.

The 36 state governors are powerful figures, with discretionary powers over millions of dollars of public funds and immunity from prosecution while in office.

Until the past three years they were considered untouchable so news that three of them were brought to court on the same day is very dramatic in the eyes of most Nigerians.

The last crop of governors stepped down on May 29 and the following week, the EFCC summoned 15 of them to answer questions about allegations of corruption.

Most of them presented themselves and were questioned for a few hours. Then on July 11 two who had failed to show up were arrested. They were among the three who were charged today.

POLITICAL BIAS The EFCC was created in 2003 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. It has tried to prosecute governors or ex-governors before, but under Obasanjo the commission was widely seen as politically biased.

Politicians and anti-corruption campaigners criticised the EFCC for targeting Obasanjo's opponents or those who were not useful to him while leaving his loyalists undisturbed.

Obasanjo handed over to Umaru Yar'Adua, his protege, on May 29 and Nigerians have been waiting to see whether the war on corruption would take a different turn.

But Yar'Adua is in a delicate position because the April elections that brought him to power were condemned as ''not credible'' by European Union observers who witnessed widespread fraud and violence.

Yar'Adua has been trying to assert his authority despite the stain of the flawed elections and he risks alienating crucial allies if he lets the EFCC go after anyone it likes.

Anti-graft campaigners say his pledges to crack down on corruption will not be taken seriously unless he lets the commission tackle some of Obasanjo's friends.

Out of the three governors charged today, none were part of Obasanjo's inner circle.

Orji Kalu of Abia state is a fierce critic of Obasanjo who was the presidential candidate of an opposition party in April.

Saminu Turaki of Jigawa state was in the opposition when he was a governor, although he is now a serving senator from the ruling party.

Joshua Dariye of Plateau state is a fugitive from British justice after he skipped bail in 2004 to avoid facing money laundering charges in a British court. Obasanjo tried for years to have him arrested but Dariye had immunity at the time.

REUTERS ARB RAI2125