A Federal High Court sitting in Jos has, on Friday, struck out 19 of 21 charges against a former Gombe State governor, Senator Danjuma Goje and three others.
The trio are facing charges of alleged misappropriation, laundering and diversion of N6.6 billion belonging to the State.
Goje, representing Gombe Central at the Senate, in 2011 alongside a former Executive Chairman, Gombe state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Aliyu Ubandoma El-Nafaty, Food Supplier to Gombe state Government, Sabo Tumu – now a deceased and an Auctioneer, S.M Dokoro was accused of laundering, diverting and misappropriating the sum of N6.6 billion belonging to the state between 2007 to 2011.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said Goje had misappropriated the state’s N5 billion loan from Access Bank that was granted by the state’s house of assembly to complete infrastructure in the state and N1.4 billion contract for the supply of dictionaries to the primary and junior secondary schools in the state through the State Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB).
In a 2 hour and 30 minutes judgement on Friday, Justice Babatunde Quadri struck out count charge 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 19 and 21 which bordered on diversion, laundering and misappropriation.
The Judge ordered Goje, as 1st defendant and based on count charge 8 and 9, to enter witness box to explain why he gave an order to the 3rd defendant to auction 50 Toyota vehicle.
Justice Quadri also said, based on the evidence before the court, Goje did not launder, divert, misappropriate or award the contract of N1.6 billion for the supply of dictionaries to the primary and junior secondary schools in the state through the State Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB) without due process.
Even before today, the court had struck out charges against former Food Supplier to Gombe state Government, Sabo Tumu who died as a result of motor accident last month.
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