…As Ex-Governor Withdraws No-Case Application.
A former governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje, on Monday, October 17, 2011 bowed to the superior arguments of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as he hurriedly withdrew an application to quash an 18 count charge preferred against him by the Commission based on the ruling of a Federal High Court sitting in Gombe asking him to defer his bail application until the consideration of his no-case submission.
Counsel to the EFCC, Wahab Shittu, told the court that bail application for Goje and four others arraigned over the charges bordering on abuse of office; awarding contracts without budget provision and obtaining by false pretence and misappropriation to the tune of N52 billion, should not be heard since “ he has brought an application before the court seeking the quashing of the charges imputed to him”.
Counsel to Goje and his co-accused, Adeniyi Akintola, SAN, had approached the court with two applications: one for the quashing of the charges preferred against them and the other for bail. However, he became thoroughly flustered by the argument of the EFCC counsel who insisted that consideration for bail should not be placed before the court simultaneously with a no-case submission.
The other four accused persons arraigned with Goje are; Alhaji Sabo Mohammed Tum, former Gombe State Government House food supplier; Alhaji Aliyu Ubadone El-Nafaty former Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board, Gombe; S. M. DOKORO; proprietor of S. M. Dokoro and M. Dokoro Gombe.
The five accused persons were docked before Justice Babatunde Quadri for offences ranging from conspiracy to obtain by false pretence contrary to section 8 of the advance fee fraud and other related offences act, concealing the genuine ownership of two properties in London and conspiracy to award contract/awarding contract without budget provision; an offence which is punishable under section 22 (4) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
The five accused persons however pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read to them. Counsel to EFCC, Wahab Shittu then asked the court to fix a date for their trial. However, counsel to the accused persons, Adeniyi Akintola, after withdrawing the first application for the quashing of charges preferred against Goje, told the court that he had filed an application for bail.
In his ruling, Justice Quadri adjourned the case till tomorrow, October 18th, 2011 for ruling on the bail application. He then ordered that the accused persons be remanded in the custody of the State Security Service, SSS.
Some of the charges against them read :
Count 1.
COUNT ONE That you, ALHAJI DANJUMA GOJE ‘M’, former Executive Governor of Gombe State, Nigeria; sometimes between May 2003 and May 2011, in Gombe within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, with attempt to convert, conspired with others to conceal or disguise the sum of N5, 000,000,000.00 (Five Billion Naira only) property of Gombe State Government, which was, or in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, represented proceeds of an illegal act, contrary to Section 17 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under Section 14 of the same Act as amended, modified and retained under Sections 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended).
COUNT TWO That you, ALHAJI DANJUMA GOJE ‘M’, former Executive Governor of Gombe State, Nigeria sometimes between May 2003 and May 2011, in Gombe, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, committed an offence to wit: converted the sum of N5, 000,000,000.00, (Five Billion Naira only) property of the Gombe State Government and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 14 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14 of the same Act as amended, modified and retained under Sections 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended).
COUNT THREE That you ALHAJI DANJUMA GOJE ‘M’, former Executive Governor of Gombe State, Nigeria; ALHAJI SABO MOHAMMED TUMU ‘M’ being Gombe State Government House food supplier; and others, between May 2003 and May 2011 within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, with attempt to convert, conspired among yourselves and others to conceal or disguise the sum of N1, 920,000,000.00 (One Billion, Nine Hundred & Twenty Million Naira only) property of Gombe State Government, which was, or in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, represented proceeds of an illegal act, contrary to Section 17 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under Section 14 of the same Act as amended, modified and retained under Sections 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19 respectively of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended).
COUNT FOUR That you ALHAJI DANJUMA GOJE ‘M’, former Executive Governor of Gombe State, Nigeria; ALHAJI SABO MOHAMMED TUMU ‘M’ being Gombe State Government House food supplier; between May 2003 and May 2011 within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, committed an offence to wit: converted the sum of N1, 920,000,000.00 (One Billion, Nine Hundred & Twenty Million Naira only) property of Gombe State Government, being an illegal act to wit: concealing its illicit origin and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 14 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14 of the same Act as amended, modified and retained under Sections 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19 respectively of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended).
