The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) might have beefed up security in Gombe ahead of the arraignment of former governor Danjuma Goje on Monday. The agency has allegedly uncovered plans by supporters of Goje to scuttle his arraignment in court.
LEADERSHIP SUNDAY had exclusively reported on Thursday that the EFCC had filed an 18-count charge against Goje at the Federal High Court in Gombe, alleging that he conspired with some other accused persons to conceal, convert and launder about N24.18 billion of the state’s funds while in office.
But the EFCC could not arraign Goje and other accused persons due to the Annual Judges’ Conference taking place in Sokoto. All the judges converged were expected to attend the conference.
A source close to the EFCC, however, confided in LEADERSHIP SUNDAY that? loyalists of Goje including the disbanded Kalare Group “have mobilised support and vowed to make it difficult for the EFCC to arraign him (Goje) . They think he performed creditably when he was the governor and that he is just being persecuted by his political enemies, using the EFCC”.
“I can also tell you authoritatively that Almajirai and a horde of unemployed youths are? being mobilised by politicians loyal to Goje to frustrate efforts of the commission to arraign the ex-governor in court,” said the source.
When contacted, EFCC spokesperson Mr Femi Babafemi, confirmed the development.? He also told our correspondent that the EFCC and other security agencies would work together to ensure that adequate security is put in place to arraign the ex-governor on Monday.
He said, “The EFCC got wind of the plot, and has brought in other security agencies to ensure that he (Goje) is arraigned in court on Monday.”
According to him, the commission, in collaboration with other security agencies, will “cordon off the court area to screen people coming to the court premises”.
The commission will also arraign former Nasarawa State governor Aliyu Akwe- Doma on Monday before the Federal High Court in Lafia.
?The two ex-governors who have been in EFCC custody since last week are alleged to have mismanaged about N37.23bn state funds.
?The anti-graft agency had alleged that Goje conspired with some other accused persons to allegedly conceal, convert and launder about N24.18bn of the state’s funds while in office between May 2003 and May 2011.
The EFCC had also filed a 17-count charge against ex- Governor Doma before a Federal High Court in Lafia and alleged that the accused engaged in N13.21bn money laundering
The two suspects, who will until then remain under the EFCC’s custody in Abuja, were said to be in good condition and well taken care of.