•EFCC secures arrest warrant, unleashes INTERPOL, others on him •Operatives storm Lagos, Ibadan, others for Alao-Akala, Daniel’s properties
Written by Lanre Adewole, AbujaSunday, 09 October 2011
Following intelligence report that he planned to bolt offshore, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at the weekend, watch-listed wanted former governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje, by placing all security agencies on red alert for his arrest.
The anti-corruption commission is seeking his prosecution over an alleged theft of N52 billion while in office between 1999 and 2007.
His evasion of arrest and refusal to surrender led to the commission declaring him wanted last Friday, following the expiration of the 12.00 p.m. ultimatum issued to him.
Same day, the commission also got a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to issue a warrant of arrest on him, which formed the basis for the weekend watch-list.
The commission’s spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest warrant and the watch-list.
With the watch-list, all the security agencies and the International Police (InterPol), especially those manning the land, sea and air borders had been empowered to arrest him whenever and wherever he is sighted.
Sunday Tribune also gathered from a top source within the commission that his wife and children had also bolted from the suspect’s home in Asokoro, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), leaving behind the domestic staff.
The source added that the commission was taking the intelligence report on Goje’s planned escape abroad serious, considering that both himself and all members of his immediate family could not be traced again either in Abuja or Gombe.
His homes outside Abuja, especially in Gombe, were also said to have been completely deserted.
It was learnt that operatives of the commission who had laid siege to his Abuja home had caught sight of a tainted Landcruiser bolting out of the house at exactly 3.00 a.m. last Friday.
Thinking that it was their man fleeing, the operatives were said to have given the racing car a hot chase and caught up with it after several kilometres, only to discover that the occupants were his wife and children.
Sunday Tribune source explained that members of his immediate family found in the jeep were not arrested because they had not been linked with the alleged fraud in any way, calling the newspaper’s attention to the commission’s avowal to fight corruption within the ambit of the law, under the leadership of its chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri.
The source also reinforced the planned arraignment of the trio of former Governors Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State, Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State and Aliyu Akwe Doma of Nasarawa State tomorrow (Monday) at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
Sunday Tribune was also told that they would go to court from the commission’s detention facility in Abuja where they are being kept since their arrest last Thursday.
When Sunday Tribune sought to know how the trio were doing in detention, the source disclosed that they were through with their statements and were just waiting for the commission’s next line of action.
It was learnt that operatives of the commission are now in Lagos, Ibadan and other cities in the South-West, trying to prepare a list of assets belonging to Daniel and Alao-Akala.
The source explained that a Mareva order for temporary forfeiture of the suspects’ assets would be sought after their arraignment, adding that the assets being compiled would be attached to the application for the asset forfeiture.
The Mareva order would see all the suspects’ assets worldwide being temporarily forfeited to the Nigerian state.
A very popular event centre in Oyo State has been reportedly listed as one of the assets that would be covered in the forfeiture application, according to Sunday Tribune source.
The owner of the centre had also been quizzed by the anti-corruption commission and might be arraigned alongside the former governor over an alleged N8.2 billion road project.
While Daniel is being linked with a N58 billion scandal during his eight-year time in office, Alao-Akala is alleged to have raked in N25 billion state funds and Doma; N8 billion.
While declaring Goje wanted, the commission had asked that “patriotic Nigerians who may have useful information on the whereabouts of the wanted person are urged to kindly send same to any of the EFCC’s offices across the country or the nearest police station.”
Meanwhile, Goje had said through his counsel, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), that he was ready to appear at the EFCC’s office on Monday to clear his names of the allegations.
SOURCE: Sunday Tribune, 9 October 2011. http://tribune.com.ng/sun/
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