Inside cells of ex-governors nabbed by EFCC
The detention cell of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at its Wuse headquarters in Abuja is not a holiday resort. Probably none of the ex-governors who were held there ever saw themselves spending several nights on small secondary school-size mattresses, mere months after leaving office. Following weeks of speculation in the media that […]
The detention cell of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at its Wuse headquarters in Abuja is not a holiday resort. Probably none of the ex-governors who were held there ever saw themselves spending several nights on small secondary school-size mattresses, mere months after leaving office.
Following weeks of speculation in the media that the nation’s foremost anti-graft agency was poised to make some high-profile arrests, former Governors Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State, Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State, (now released on bail), Aliyu Akwe Doma of Nasarawa State, and Danjuma Goje of Gombe State, were arrested. The funds alleged to have been stolen by the quartet when they held sway as governors, combined to reach over a hundred billion naira.
A cursory glance at the detention area reveals little of its uncomfortable nature; it is a restricted area and journalists on official assignment at the commission’s offices are not allowed entry. But sources at the commission describe the facility as well-kept and fumigated, explaining that Block D, also symbolically termed ‘Idiagbon House’ where the ex-governors and other suspects are detained, is maintained at a good standard. The bed sheets are always changed and suspects are given small mattresses enough for one person, because “We don’t want them to become too close,” security sources revealed to Weekly Trust.
However, ex-governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State was kept in Block C, where he faced the same kind of restriction as his counterparts. They are not allowed to use their phones, and only wives and lawyers are given permission to see them. “We don’t want a situation where they have access to people and try to interfere with the course of our investigations,” a source said. “We actually have a hall-like room where suspects share an open space, but we kept the governors in separate rooms, as we don’t want them to form another Governors Forum here.”
The EFCC usually gets several petitions alleging fraud and corruption against politicians and senior civil servants. “Discreet investigation always follows the filing of these petitions and it’s on the substance of the discoveries after investigation has been carried out by our operatives that we invite suspects to explain,” a source said. “When we bring the ex-governors here, most of them feel they can make calls that will take care of things. After a while, they write their first statement under caution that whatever they reveal may be used as evidence against them in court; usually they write in their own handwriting because most of them are literate, and they do so in the presence of their lawyers.”
“From our experience, this first statement is always not true and a product of arrogance, but after 24 hours of detention they begin to have a rethink of their situation, cutoff from family and friends, without phones and sleep in an unfamiliar environment. They become sober and make a varied second statement. Interestingly, this statement is a product of some rationalization. The idea begins to set into their minds that they cannot suffer alone, so they implicate others in their narratives. This is where we begin to invite other officials and entities whom may be culpable in the crimes being investigated, and may be subsequently arraigned alongside the governors.”
The source continued: “The irony of seeing these erstwhile powerful men mellow in detention is that after a while you see them become very religious, grasping their holy books and spending time reading the Bible or Qur’an.”
Daniel is accused of embezzling N58 billion; Alao-Akala N25 billion; Doma N18 billion, and Goje N52 Billion. After spending about five days in detention in Abuja, the EFCC filed charges against all of them and arraigned some of the governors in their respective states.
EFCC spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the prosecution of the ex-governors is to be executed in two parts in their respective states where they will face charges that border on stealing and related offenses, and at the Federal Capital Territory where they will be charged for money laundering and related offenses.
Former governor of Ogun State Gbenga Daniel was arraigned before a State High Court in Abeokuta on a 16-count charge of stealing and diversion of public funds brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Oyo State former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala alongside two others was arraigned before Justice Moshood Abbas of the Oyo State High Court on an 11-count charge bordering on abuse of office. He was charged along with a former local government commissioner Hosea Ayoola Agboola and businessman Olufemi Ademola Babalola. At the resumed hearing on the matter the presiding Judge Moshood Abas granted bail at N500 million and two sureties and landed property in Ibadan GRA. Akala is to remain in SSS custody until he fulfills the terms of his bail.
18-count charges were filed at the State High Court in Gombe State, alleging that former Governor Danjuma Goje conspired with four others to defraud the state of N12. 920,289,173.28. Similarly the EFCC has also charged the former Nasarawa State governor Aliyu Akwe Doma over allegations of defrauding states funds of N14.110, 969,978.18. The former Nasarawa State governor faces 17 count charges and is scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday, 18th October at a Federal High Court in Lafia. The charges allege that Doma connived with nine others to siphon state funds.
Responding to criticism that the EFCC has been unable to get convictions on many cases involving former governors it is currently prosecuting, rather relying on media razzmatazz to tarnish the image of political opponents, officials of the agency point to the enormous influence the accused persons wield, especially after looting their states of billions of naira, which enables them to hire expensive lawyers. They lament that the case against some ex-governors during former president Obasanjo’s administration are still unfinished.
Insiders at the National Judicial Council hinted to Weekly Trust that the delay in trials will soon be a thing of the past as the new Chief Justice of the Federation, Dahiru Musdapher, has promised to reform the nation’s judiciary and has already been making moves for the creation of special courts to ensure that the backlog of EFCC pending cases are cleared. In the meantime, many ex-governors remain uneasy, even as whispers of new list of ‘candidates’ for the EFCC’s cells pervade.