Goje, 3 Others Released On Bail

A Federal High Court in Gombe, presided over by Justice Babatunde Quadri on Tuesday granted bail to the former Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Danjuma Goje, and three others standing trial before it.

Goje and three others were on Monday arraigned before the court by the EFCC on an 18-count charge of laundering more than N25 billion public fund between May 2003 and May 2011.

Goje was arraigned along with Alhaji Aliyu El-Nafaty, former Executive Chairman of Gombe State Universal basic Education Board (SUBEB) and two contractors, S.M. Dokoro and Alhaji Sabo Tumu.

S. M. Dokoro Company Ltd, Gombe was also joined in the suit filed by the EFCC.

Quadri while granting the bail, following an earlier application file before it by Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), counsel to Goje, said that it was the constitutional right of the suspects to be granted bail.

He said that there was no criminal record either against Goje or his co-suspects to refuse the suspects bail.

The judge also dispelled the insinuation by the EFCC counsel, Mr Wahab Shittu that Goje and others might abscond from trial if granted bail.

Quadri further dispelled the insinuation by Shittu that Goje might use his position as the former governor and a serving senator to disrupt the anti-graft commission’s investigations, as well as the trial.

He said that there was no need refusing the suspects bail since EFCC had severally in their notice on motion said that it was yet to conclude its investigations.

The judge said this had made it difficult for the court to arrive at when the investigations would be concluded.

Quadri, therefore, granted the suspects bail in the sum of N200 million each, two sureties in like sum and said that the sureties must be resident in Gombe, as well as own landed property in Gombe.

He further ordered that the landed property owned by the sureties must be covered by Certificates of Occupancy and the certificates must be deposited at the Registry Department of the court.

Quadri also ordered that the sureties must obtain a letter from the State Ministry of Land and Survey confirming that the landed property were not in dispute.

He said that they should submit three years tax clearance certificates and passport size photographs to the Registry Department and adjourned the case till December 7, and December 8, for trial.

The judge had on Monday ordered that the suspects be remanded in the custody of the State Security Services (SSS) pending ruling on a bail application made by Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) counsel to the suspects.

Quadri, had during the 12-hour proceedings, adjourned ruling on the bail application to Tuesday when Akintola prayed the court to grant the accused persons bail.

Akintola, had assured the court that the suspects would not jump bail or interfere with investigations by the anti-graft commission.

He argued that, “bail is a constitutional right of everybody, more so that the offences the accused were being charged with were not capital offences and therefore, bailable.”

Counsel to the EFCC, Shittu objected the bail application, stating that Goje had earlier rebuffed the commission’s invitation and reported later after being declared wanted by the commission.

Shittu also argued that if granted bail, Goje was likely to interfere with investigations of the anti-graft commission by using his position as the former governor and serving senator.

He drew the attention of the court to the charges of money laundering levelled against Goje, which according to Shittu is so serious, especially that it had battered the image of the country.

According to the charges, Goje alone is charged with laundering N12 billion, while Goje and Tumu were jointly charged with laundering N3.8 billion.

Goje is also charged along with El-Nafaty for laundering N9.3 billion, while Goje was again charged with S.M. Dokoro for laundering N485 million.

The accused persons had pleaded not guilty to the charges.