By Leke ADESERI, CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, HENRY UMORU & IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRi
LAGOS—BARRING last minute hitches, three former Governors, Alao Akala (Oyo State), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun) and Aliyu Akwe-Doma (Nasarawa) will today appear before a Federal High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to answer to criminal charges that will be preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The ex-governors, who were arrested by operatives of the anti-graft agency last Thursday spent their weekend in EFCC detention cells, explaining themselves over allegations that they pilfered over N101 billion from the public treasury while they were in office.

They will be answering to criminal charges bothering on alleged financial recklessness, breach of public trust and misappropriation of state funds.

Meanwhile, former Gombe State Governor, Senator Danjuma Goje, who was also declared wanted, has turned himself over to the commission as feelers emerged that his three former colleagues were receiving VIP treatment in detention.

However, eminent Nigerians have adopted a cautious approach to the issues, saying there was nothing to cheer yet until EFCC secured convictions that would serve as deterrence to graft in future. Notable personalities, who spoke on the matter include Second Republic presidential candidate, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite; Pioneer Chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Professor Anya O. Anya; Legal icon, Chief Solomon Asemota (SAN) and former Transport Minister, Chief Ebenezer Babatope.

Investigations by Vanguard revealed that whereas the anti-graft agency apprehended Daniel over his alleged complicity in a N58 billion fraud, Alao-Akala of Oyo and his counterpart from Nasarawa, Doma, were arrested over allegations that they helped themselves with state funds to the tune of N25 billion and N18 billion respectively.

Akala, Daniel, Doma

Though only Doma was initially queried at the National Headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja, Daniel and Akala, who were earlier interrogated at the Lagos office of the agency were later taken to Abuja for prosecution today.

Conviction: EFCC optimistic

An EFCC source said that although the embattled trio declined to give explanations to some of the allegations raised against them in three separate petitions that led to their arrest, he exuded confidence that aggregate proof of evidence gathered by the commission within the weekend would be enough to secure their convictions at the trial court.

“This case is going to be very interesting considering that so many people have on their own volition volunteered to appear in court and testify against the accused persons as prosecution witnesses. In fact as I am talking to you, our legal team is putting finishing touches to the charges, which may be read to them simultaneously tomorrow (today),” he added.

Vanguard equally gathered that the EFCC has briefed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Kemi Pinheiro, and three seasoned prosecutors, Wahab Shittu, Godwin Obla and Rotimi Jacobs, to prosecute the ex-governors.

Goje surrenders self

Meantime, Senator Danjuma Goje, who was earlier declared wanted by the EFCC, may be arrested today.

He is wanted over allegations of mismanagement and diversion of over N52 billion public funds.

Indications emerged yesterday that Goje, who was placed on security watch list by the anti-graft agency, has expressed his readiness to appear at the headquarters of the commission today for grilling, contending that the reason he was not able to join his co-accused colleagues to spend the weekend in detention was owing to the manner the invitation was extended to him.

In a ‘please pardon me letter’ he forwarded to the EFCC via his lead counsel, Mr Niyi Akintola, SAN, the allegedly on the run ex-governor maintained that he would voluntarily submit himself today having been duly notified about the subsisting warrant of arrest that was secured against him by the agency.

Daniel, Akala, Doma calm in EFCC cells

Ahead of today’s arraignment, Vanguard checks yesterday showed that the former governors were calm in their detention cells and they are not denied access to visitors.

One of the former aides of Gbenga Daniel, who spoke to Vanguard from Abuja said the former governor was in high spirit and saw his detention as a golden opportunity to clear his name once and for all.

According to the aide who said he visited his principal yesterday, “frantic efforts are being made by his friends and family members in readiness to meet whatever bail conditions that may be raised when he is arraigned possibly tomorrow.

The ex-governors are said to be kept in VIP cells. “There are showers in every cell, and each apartment is equipped with a table, chair, television and ventilating fans. It was also gathered that there were air conditioners in some of the VIP cells. The former governors were said to be well composed.”

An EFCC official concurred. “The ex- states’ chief executives are used to comfort that money can buy, so we have to supply them with a level of comfort because they are not

guilty yet. That is why most suspects beg the court to remand them in EFCC‘s custody. We would have put ceiling fans there instead of ventilating fans, but we were advised that some people could hang themselves with the ceiling fans.”

It was observed that relatives of the detainees were allowed to visit their family members at visiting housr, while their spouses are allowed unimpeded access for the purpose of providing them with whatever they need to keep body and soul together.

None of the detained ex-governor is taking EFCC meals. They rely on food brought to them by their spouses and house helps. ”But that has to be approved by us. We even allow them to take medications where necessary,” said an official who added that the suspects were also allowed access to telephones.

But spokesman of the commission, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said the suspects would regain their freedom once they fulfilled the bail terms of the court. ”We are not denying them of their rights,” he said.

Nothing to cheer yet – Braithwaite, Anya, Babatope, Asemota

As the EFCC arraign the three former governors today, a host of eminent Nigerians have expressed reservations on how far the anti-graft quest would go.

Given how past arrests and arraignments had gone with no one being convicted, the leaders are adopting a wait and see posture.

Asked what he made of the arrest and whether it would boost the ant-graft crusade, Asemota adopted the cautious mode. “Let’s wait and see,” he said.

Anya shared Asemota’s feelings, noting that little or nothing had come of previous high profile arrests and arraignment of allegedly corrupt public office holders

“We need to wait and see what happens after all people had been arrested in the past. We did not hear anything about former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole after his arrest, arraignment and bail. So, let’s wait and see whether or not it is the usual game,” he said.

On his part, Braithwaite said what the citizenry yearned for now was decisive outcomes and not a plethora of arrests. “They have made arrests but it is the outcome that is important. So far, the outcome of high profile arrests has been disappointing. Until we see convictions that will send signals, until they (EFCC) secure convictions that can serve as deterrence to corruption, we cannot say we are fighting corruption,” he said.

Also speaking, Babatope condemned the manner the EFCC arrested the former governors and warned that it was dangerous to assault the myths of leadership and authority.

Babatope, a member of the Board of Trustees, BoT of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in a text message to Vanguard yesterday urged the Chairman of EFCC, Mrs Farida Waziri not to dramatize the agency’s series of arrests.

The PDP chieftain who also appealed to the EFCC chairman not to turn the Commission into an inquisition said, “a clear achievement of the Obasanjo administration has been the establishment of the EFCC and ICPC to fight corruption in Nigeria. As good and desirable as these organisations are I will however want to appeal to the EFCC in particular to scale down considerably the seeming over dramatization of these arrests.

A man is presumed innocent until proved guilty by judicial process. It is equally dangerous to assault the myths of leadership and authority in the way these arrests are being affected. I once again appeal to the EFCC not to turn the desirable body into an inquisition. We should not turn holding of public offices in Nigeria into a crime.”