BY Leke Adeseri, Ola  Ajayi,  Oscarline onwuemenyi, John Bulus & Prince Emmanuel
LAGOS—THE immediate past Governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao Akala, the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Hosea Agboola and a contractor, Mr. Femi Babalola were arraigned yesterday in Ibadan on an 11 count charge of conspiracy, illegal acquisition of property and illegal award of contracts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

However for the second time yesterday, the EFCC failed to arraign the immediate past governors of Ogun and Nasarawa States, Otunba Gbenga Daniel Alhaji Akwe Doma respectively who were last week picked by the agency over allegations of fraudulent misuse of public funds. While keeping Daniel in custody the EFCC officials have also intensified their search for incriminating documents and on Monday night combed the offices of a first generation bank that was allegedly used for the distribution of local government funds.

Governor Danjuma Goje, the immediate past Governor of Gombe State who surrendered to the EFCC Monday morning was also still being held yesterday in EFCC custody over similar allegations. However, the reverberation of the arrest of Goje was last night spreading around Gombe with former associates and officials of Goje going underground.

Former Nassarawa State governor, Akwe Doma could not be arraigned because there was no available judge to hear the case.

Ex-Gov. Alao-Akala reading the charges against him yesterday.

Following its inability to arraign Doma in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Tuesday the anti-graft agency quickly filed the charge at the Nassarawa State High Court in Lafia. However, it was still unable to get a judge to hear the case against the former governor.

The Head of Media and Publicity at the EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafemi, told our correspondent in Abuja that the delay in the arraignment of the former governors was occasioned by the ongoing Judges’ Conference taking place in Sokoto, Sokoto State.

According to Babafemi, “We are doing everything we can to arraign these suspects, but we are handicapped by the Judges’ Conference, which is going on in Sokoto State presently. With regards to Doma, we still hope to get a judge to hear his charges by tomorrow (Wednesday).”

Akala, Senator, Contractor docked

As early as 8.15am yesterday Alao-Akala and two of his aides were conveyed to the court in a bus with number plate AJ 134 SBC KADUNA. The former Governor was welcomed by his supporters who had arrived the court premises earlier singing solidarity songs.

All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges read to them at the State High Court, Ring Road, Ibadan.

Other charges preferred against the three accused persons include obtaining property by false pretence and acquiring property with money derived from alleged illegal act and concealing the ownership of such property.

According to the charges, the accused persons were alleged to have awarded contracts totaling N2.270b in year 2007 for the supply of 33 drilling machines and another put at N355m for the supply of 20 Roro trucks and 200 pieces of skip bins.

They were also alleged to have conspired and awarded N8.5b contract without budget provision for the construction of roads in all 33 local government areas of the state in 2007 and 2009.

Akala who was clad in white Guinea brocade fiddled with his phone for most of the duration of the session and looked unperturbed.

The former governor was also accused of having bought two choice property in Ibadan with money allegedly realised from the illegal act and that he bought two other property in London using a false identity.

They were also accused of obtaining by false pretence the net sum of N269m from the state and local government joint account.

Babalola was alleged to have obtained N269m from the state and local government joint account in addition to another N347m from various contractors engaged in road construction in the local governments.

Though, counsel to the anti graft agency, EFCC had prayed the court presided over by Justice Moshood Abbas that the accused persons be remanded in prison so that the commission could prepare for their trial, the defence counsel led by Mamman Osuman (SAN)and three others told the court that there was a pending allocation for bail before the court.

He said, his clients especially Akala having spent six days in detention, should be granted bail describing their detention as unnecessary and unconstitutional.

Justice Abass said since the accused persons did not waste time responding to the prosecution=s application, their bail application must also be heard within a reasonable time.

The judge then ordered that the accused persons be remanded in custody of the State Security Service with access to lawyers, doctors and one spouse each.

The trial continues today at 12 noon.

As he left the premises amid tight security, his supporters poured encomium on him praying that he would come out of his ordeal unscathed.

EFCC fails to arraign Daniel, combs bank for documents

…Ex-Chairmen quizzed

Meanwhile in Abeokuta the EFCC kept supporters of Daniel waiting yesterday as the commission failed to arraign them yesterday.

For hours, supporters of the embattled ex governor, security personnel and journalists waited endlessly in anticipation of the commencement of the much publicized trial of the former number one citizen of the state who was picked up last Thursday.

Few lawyers were sighted within the court premises which gave an indication that, the trial might take place as scheduled while journalists shuttled between the Federal and State High Courts

One of the lawyers defending Daniel in the case kicked against the failure of the commission to arraign the former Governor saying that keeping him in custody was a breach of his fundamental rights.

Dr. Yemi Oke in a statement yesterday said that the EFCC was served with a court process to enforce his fundamental rights yesterday morning, by the ex- governor=s lawyers B Mr. Taiwo Osipintan (SAN) and Taiwo Oyetibo(SAN), in which they alleged that their client was being held under gruesome conditions.

The full content of the protest letter reads:

“As it is generally known, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Governor of Ogun State, was taken into custody on Thursday October 6, 2011 by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

“Since then under the guise of investigating allegations contained in petitions written against him, the former governor has been detained at the EFCC facility in Abuja under unbearable conditions. In the last four days he has been subjected to gruesome interrogations by operatives of the commission.

“Under normal circumstances, Otunba Daniel should have been arraigned in court since he has spent more than the required period specified by law in detention. But at the time of issuing this statement, he has not been arraigned in court and no charge has been preferred against him. Yet he is being detained and his fundamental human rights curtailed for no just cause. “Only his wife is allowed access to him.

“This morning the EFCC has been served with court processes by Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s lawyers led by Professor Taiwo Osipitan, SAN and Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN seeking to enforce his fundamental human rights. This has been ignored by the agency.

This disposition of the EFCC has left us with no alternative than to conclude that there are other motives for the continued detention of Otunba Daniel other than the investigation of an alleged crime. Otherwise he should have been admitted to administrative bail or formally charged to court. Because of the worsening condition under which he is being held and the curtailment of his fundamental rights, the former governor has declined food and medication, which has raised serious concern about his health.

AIt is noteworthy to point out that one of Otunba Daniel=s interrogators, in an unguarded moment, blurted out that the case against him would not have gotten to this level if he had begged a former president of the country whom he said was behind Otunba Daniel’s travails.

“We therefore call on all men and women of goodwill to prevail on the EFCC to allow the rule of law to prevail by either releasing the former governor or charge him to court. These are the only two options known to law.

EFCC combs bank for incriminating evidence against Daniel

Meanwhile, EFCC stormed the premises of one of the new generation banks (name with held) in Abeokuta on Monday afternoon and locked up the bank till 9:30 pm in search of documents on the Joint State and Local Government Account. The commission operatives did not leave until they got the documents.

Attempts to get a reaction from the bank manager were rebuffed yesterday as staff were uncooperative while some customers who spoke with our correspondent confirmed that, they were locked out but did not know the reason.

Ex-Chairmen of LGs quizzed

The commission also summoned former chairmen of local governments during the Daniel era and quizzed them over the alleged deduction of council money.

Confirming the invitation, ex Chairman, Ifo local Government, Sikirulahi Ogundele told our correspondent that he was quizzed over deduction of local governments money.

According to him “EFCC invited all immediate past chairmen, they asked us questions. It was all about our administration and we educated them”, he said.

While acknowledging that there was deduction of fund during their tenure, Ogundele said all the money deducted were legal and constitutional.

Meantime, apprehension has gripped many politicians in Gombe State following the detention of the former Governor of the State, Alhaji Mohammad Danjuma Goje by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Vanguard gathered that many officials who served the Goje administration have fled the State while some others are keeping their tongues in check.

Ex governor Goje who is currently a Senator of the Federal Republic is being interrogated by the anti graft agency in connection with alleged misappropriation of state funds to the tune of N52 billion during his tenure of 8 years.

Goje was declared wanted by EFCC over the weekend consequent upon his failure to heed the summons of the Agency. He however turned in himself at the early hours of Monday morning.

EFCC sources said that barring any last minute changes, the former Governor would be arraigned this week before a Court in Gombe.

Meanwhile, Goje’s detention by the Agency has prompted some mixed reactions from the people. While jubilations erupted in some quarters of the State Capital when news filtered that the ex governor was in custody, a score of others were not particularly happy with the development. These included indigenes and non indigenes who saw Goje as the architect of modern Gombe State who worked tirelessly during his reign as governor to not only elevating the status of the State from hitherto a glorified village, but placed the State on a pedestal that attracts commendations and applauses.

On the security situation of the State, those who spoke to Vanguard on anonymous conditions said that were it not for Goje, the crises that have engulfed the neighboring state of Plateau, Bauchi and Borno States would have found a place in Gombe, stressing that it was as a result of the security measures taken by the former governor to prevent the escalation of religious crises to Gombe that earned him an award from the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigerian, CAN.

Tension in Lafia over Doma

Meanwhile security has been beefed up in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital following last week’s arrest and detention of former Governor Doma of Nasarawa state, by the EFCC.

Since the arrest of Doma there as been serious tension in the state as a result of mixed reactions that trailed his arrest. While youths believed to be loyal to the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC took to the streets carrying placards and dangerous weapons celebrating Doma’s arrest, supporters of the PDP and the immediate past governor mobilized themselves at the state PDP secretariat along Jos road, Lafia for a counter demonstration yesterday. It was only the intervention of the security agencies that prevented a clash between the two camps.