Justice Babatunde Quadri of a Federal High Court, Jos, Plateau State has ruled that a former governor of Gombe State, Danjuma Goje, has a case to answer on counts eight and nine of the 21-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC).
Goje,
a serving Senator, is standing trial along with a former Executive
Chairman of the state’s Universal Basic Education Board, Aliyu
El-Nafaty; and S.M. Dokoro for an alleged N5 billion fraud. A fourth
defendant, the ex-governor’s cousin, Sabo Tumu, who is now late, was
removed from the charge sheet. They are alleged to have been involved in
alleged financial impropriety, including the award of contracts for
food supply to the state’s Government House during his tenure.
The
EFCC had through its counsel, Wahab Shittu, closed its case against
them, on May 31, 2018 after calling 25 witnesses and tendering several
documents to prove its case. However, rather than open its defence, Goje
through his lawyers, filed a “no-case” submission on September 14,
2018. Counsel for the EFCC, Wahab Shittu, had objected to the
application, which was made by Paul Erokoro.
Shittu, however,
countered his argument and urged the court to ask them to open their
defence, stressing that, “in view of documents and evidences before the
court, the defendants have cases to answer.”
At the last sitting
on January 25, 2019 the trial judge had adjourned to yesterday to rule
on the “no-case” submission. Ruling on the said application, Quadri
while discharging the defendants on 19 of the 21 counts, held that the
defendants had a case to answer on counts eight and nine, and ruled that
they should open their defence on May 8, 2019.
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