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  • Police: We may arrest Goje

    Police: We may arrest Goje

    The Police yesterday said they may arrest Senator Danjuma Goje if he refuses to appear before the Police Investigative team.

    According to the police, the senator has spurned an invitation sent to him by the police.

    Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), dropped the hint in Abuja on live television interview.

    The senator said on the floor of the on Wednesday that the work of the senate might be impeded following removal of documents relating to 2017 Budget from his house during a search by the police.

    But Moshood said: “He (Goje) must appear before the investigation team to explain circumstances surrounding how he got some of the documents with us.

    “The Senator promised to come last week Friday but he did not. So, I am using this opportunity to call on him to appear before the investigation panel because investigation is still ongoing on the recovery that were made in his house.”

    On whether he will be arrested if he refused to honour invitation by the police, he said: “Yes he will be arrested because no one is above arrest and we will definitely do so and it is important for him to know that on time and appear before the team.”

    On the search warrant executed, the Force Spokesman said: “The search was not aimed at the 2017 Budget and I must add that no budget document was sighted or removed.

    “No single document relating to the 2017 Budget and mind you, the budget has been with them for months now. So, it will be wrong for anybody to come up and say because police conducted a search, the passage of the budget will be affected.

    On whether the laptop recovered from Goje’s house contains documents relating to the budget, Moshood said: “The laptop we took also has some incriminating item which we are investigating because all we removed were removed for investigation.

    “No, when President Buhari went to lay down the budget before the National Assembly,  it was not laid with a laptop. It is a public document that everybody saw. The laptop does not contain any of such document, I make bold to say that.”

    Moshood also promised to make the video clips of the search public.

    He said: “We will make it public for people to know how the search was conducted in the presence of three of the sebator’s relatives and that it was transparent.

    “The video will be made public as soon as possible but the senator has to appear before the Panel because he is going to be asked questions relating to the search warrant executed and those things that were recovered from his house.

    “We cannot put the video out before he appears but he has been reluctant in coming despite calls by the investigation panel. Nobody can cow the police because the law is there and nobody is above the law.”

  • We did not remove any 2017 budget document from Goje’s residence -Police

    We did not remove any 2017 budget document from Goje’s residence -Police

    Contrary to claims by Senator Danjuma Goje that document relating to the 2017 budget were removed during a search on his house by the men of the Nigeria Police, the police have maintained that there was no single document relating to budget sighted or removed by the Police team that executed the search warrant.
    The police also said a search warrant was duly obtained from court of competent jurisdiction and was professionally executed in the house of Senator Danujma Goje on 20th April, 2017 at No. 10 Haile Salasie Street, Asokoro District Abuja.

    The Force leadership also said Goje’s house was searched after it got intelligence that large sum of money suspected to be stolen public funds and other incriminating items are about to be moved out of the said house.
    The police also explained that its actions are in line with the provisions of Sec. 4 & 28 of Police Act and Regulations as mentioned in paragraph 2 above and consistent with Sec. 9 & 144 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.

    This is contained in a statement in Abuja by the

    The full statement by Force Spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood.he reads: “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to reports in the media credited to Senator Da jump Abdullahi Goje captioned “Blame the Police if 2017 Budget is not Ready Senator Goje” “REPS gives Police 24 hours to return budget documents allegedly carted from Goje’s residence”
    “The report in its entirety is false, misleading and capable of misinforming Nigerians about the statutory roles and duties of the Nigeria Police Force as provided under Sections 4 & 28 of Police Act and Regulations, which includes prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of offenders, the preservation of law and order, the protection of life and property and the due enforcement of all laws and regulations, and authority to enter any house or premises to execute search warrant.
    “It is pertinent to set the record straight and inform Nigerians of the facts of the matter.

    “A search warrant duly obtained from court of competent jurisdiction was professionally executed in the house of Senator Danujma Goje on 20th April, 2017 at No. 10 Haile Salasie Street, Asokoro District Abuja which was subsequent upon intelligence report at the disposal of the Force that large sum of money suspected to be stolen public funds and other incriminating items are about to be moved out of the said house.”
    On how the search was carried out, the Police said: “It is worthy of note that on arrival of the Police team to Senator Danujma Goje’s house, the house keeper Ango Usman informed the Senator of the presence and mission of the team and he promised coming but later switched off his phone.
    “The search warrant was successfully executed in the presence of three close relatives of Senator Danjuma Goje who are residing in the house and the recoveries were made in their presence.

    “The three relatives opened the house and took the Police team round the building, and endorsed their signatures after the completion of the search as required by the procedure of law on search warrant which contained the money, documents and Laptop recovered, and none of the items include 2017 budget document.

    “This is available for inspection by any interested members of the public”.
    The three relatives that were present during the search according to the police are; Danjuma Mohammed, a master Degree holder from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and a Chartered Quantity Surveyor is a nephew to Senator Danjuma Goje, Ango Usman, House keeper to Senator Danjuma Goje and Aisha Umar, Alias Iklima a step daughter to the Senator Danjuma Goje.

    Highlighting the items taken from the house, the police said: “For avoidance of doubt, the followings are the sum of money both in local and foreign currencies, vital documents and a Laptop recovered for investigation when the search warrant was executed in the house of Senator Danjuma Goje

    “Cash sum of Eighteen Million and Fifty Six Thousand Naira (₦18,056,000) only, Cash sum of Nineteen Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty (19,850 US Dollars), and Cash sum of Nine Thousand Four Hundred (SR9, 400) Saudi Riyal”

    38 Files and six envelopes containing documents were also recovered from his home.

    Some of the files include: “file on funds spent on security administration and information gathering– a-g – 2009, file on release of funds for Special operations a- f – 2009, file on Gombe State Government of Nigeria Cash inflow 2005, file on Project 2007 – Executive Briefs on how to fight opposition in Gombe State – Strategies and Tactics

    Others are: “Envelopes containing permit to operate as an Oil Industry Service Company (special categories) 2011, a file containing write-ups on how Governor Shekarau plotted the assassination of Sheikh Jafaru

    “Letters from Alhaji Mohammed Danjuma Goje (Sarkin Yakin Gombe) to the MD LUBELL Nigeria Ltd of proposed residential Devt at Kashere Phase II dated 16/01/2007 and 19/11/2010.”
    On whether the police went away with documents relating to 2017 budget, it said: “The Nigeria Police Force wishes to state categorically that there was no single document relating to 2017 budget sighted or removed by the Police team that executed the search warrant.

    “There is video recording of the execution of the search warrant,” it added.

    The IG was said to have honoured the invitation of the National Assembly on 26th April, 2017 to explain the legality of the search warrant that was executed in the house of Senator Danjuma Goje on the 20th of April, 2017.

    The police while noting that further investigation is currently ongoing into the matter added that it’s actions are in line with the provisions of Sec. 4 & 28 of Police Act and Regulations as mentioned in paragraph 2 above and consistent with Sec. 9 & 144 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
    The Force leadership also described the report credited to Senator Danjuma Goje as a deliberate distraction to cast aspersion on Police investigation to pervert the end of justice.

    Members of the public were urged to disregard the report as the search warrant which was professionally executed in the house of Senator Danjuma Goje has nothing to do with 2017 budget.

  • Goje, Yerima battle for Senate Leader

    Another battle may have ensued in the Senate, even as the dust raised by the controversial emergence of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Senator Ike Ekweremadu as President of the Senate and Deputy President of the Senate is yet to settle.

    This time, the battle is over who will occupy the office of the Senate Leader, which has reportedly pitched Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje and Senator Ahmed Rufai Yerima Sani against each other.

    The position was occupied by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (Cross River Central) in the Seventh Senate.

    Goje represents Gombe Central Senatorial District (Northeast). Sani is Zamfara West Senatorial District representative (Northwest).

    The two ranking senators are frontline members of the Like Minds Senators, a group of senators who spearheaded Saraki’s emergence as Senate President on June 9.

    Goje is said to have wanted the Deputy President of the Senate position, but the slot eluded him when Ekweremadu, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker, was elected to take the position.

    Goje is said to be positioning himself to clinch the Senate Leader slot.

    Yerima is also said to be angling for the same position, a situation that may lead to another titanic clash in the Senate chamber.

    Sources in the Senate told The Nation in Abuja that Goje and Yerima were already working surreptitiously to clinch the coveted position.

    One of the sources said: “Remember, Yerima nominated and read Saraki’s profile on June 9, to take the chair of the Senate President.”

    He noted that Goje on the other hand came handy to dismiss Senator Barnabas Gemade’s Constitutional Point of Order on June 10, bothering on the election of Saraki, as a non-issue.

    When Gemade raised the point that 51 senators, who went to honour APC invitation for a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari were shut out of the election of Saraki, Goje did not waste time to remind Gemade that those who went to the International Conference Centre for the meeting were on their own.

    Goje was also at the head of a group of Northeast senators, who disowned Senator Ahmed Lawan’s candidature for Senate President at the initial stage of the struggle for the office between Saraki and Lawan.

    Yerima, on his own, has been very vocal of late in support of the election of Saraki, apparently underscoring his interest to lead the upper chamber as its leader.

    It is not clear what the thinking of Saraki may be.

    But a source said: “The Saraki will certainly back one of those who backed him to become the Senate President.

    The precedent established in the Senate is that the majority party will produce the Senate Leader and Deputy Senate Leader.

    As scheming and horse-trading for the positions, including committees, continue, the days ahead before the resumption of plenary will point  where the pendulum will shift.

  • Goje: Gombe APC has no pact with Dankwambo

    Goje: Gombe APC has no pact with Dankwambo

    Senator Danjuma Goje is All Progressives Congress (APC) leader in Gombe State. In this interview with VINCENT OHONBAMU, he speaks about the defection of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains to the APC and other issues.

    People have been defecting massively from the PDP to APC in the last couple of days now. Could you please update us on the issue?

    Today, I received a serving member of the House of Representative who contested election and lost recently. His name is Shuaibu Galadima, he left the PDP for the APC. The Co-ordinator for the person who contested against me for the Senate, Tanimu Usman, who was my former Commissioner and a serving Special Adviser, has also defected to APC. Another serving Special Adviser on Hajj Affairs, Sa’adu Hassan, has also defected from the PDP to the APC. A serving Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, Kabiru Kuri Jara, has also defected from the PDP to the APC. Last but not the least for now, a Permanent Commissioner in Gombe State Assembly Service Commission, Abdullahi Magaji Difa, has also defected from PDP to APC. These are the six leaders I received today (Tuesday) with thousands of their supporters. Many leaders are on the way, we’ll let you know as they come

    What do you think is responsible for this mass defection?

    It is a total loss of confidence on the government and the governor of Gombe State as presently constituted under the PDP. People have loss confidence in the government, people are giving up, people have all already concluded that they’ll be defeated on Saturday, and therefore, they want to join the bandwagon; they don’t want to be losers.

    There are rumours that Governor Dankwambo is initiating a parley with the APC. What is your reaction to this?

    What rumour, I don’t understand; are you saying he’s going to step down, or he’s going to contest, as PDP?

    He is going to contest as a PDP candidate and by the time he wins, he would crossover to the APC.

    So, he wants us as the APC to vote for him to win; and then, we will vote against our candidate? Does it make sense? If he had wanted to be in APC, he would have left the PDP and joined the APC from the beginning. He believes in the PDP and now the PDP is gone. Governors left the PDP and joined APC. We have a candidate, who is better than him, Inuwa Yahaya, my former Commissioner of Finance for eight years. He is better equipped to become the governor of Gombe State. In fact, Buhari has further endorsed him to debunk all the insinuations of the governor wanting to sneak into the corridors of power through the backdoors by saying he would convert to the APC after winning. No, we don’t need him! Let him stand in his PDP, we’ll stand in or the APC and go to the polls. And I trust the good people of Gombe State will do the right thing, and that is to vote APC.

    So, you are calling on the people to ignore the rumour insinuations?

    It is in fact a meaningless and baseless rumour. General Buhari himself had clarified the situation that those who wanted to contest under APC have already joined APC. Since he is in PDP, we are parallel. How many days remaining now? Just three days to election! So, we are waiting for the elections to come. Let him contest under PDP and we will support our candidate APC and the good people of Gombe will decide. And I advise them (the electorate) strongly to vote for the APC because it is the party of the people; it’s the party of the country now. We cannot afford to be in the minority, we cannot afford to be in the opposition. We are already backward in Gombe State. We are already devastated here in the Northeast by Boko Haram and other calamities. And the safest way is to be with the Federal Government.

  • Akume, Saraki, Goje, others protest failure to read defection letter

    Akume, Saraki, Goje, others protest failure to read defection letter

    It was a battle of wits yesterday in the Senate as 11 senators who tendered a letter of defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) demanded that their letter be read.

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided, blocked the efforts of the defectors to have the letter read.

    Proceedings in the upper chamber were held up for over 30 minutes as APC senators vehemently protested Ekweremadu’s refusal to read the letter.

    While the APC senators were insisting that the letter must be read, their PDP counterparts were encouraging Ekweremadu not to read it.

    Eleven Senators, submitted a letter of “notification of change of political party” to Senate President David Mark on Wednesday.

    They expected Mark to read the letter, but for undisclosed reasons, he did not.

    Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central), who was said to have been unsettled by the antics of the Senate leadership, raised yesterday a Point of Order to enforce his privilege by calling attention to the letter.

    Saraki said 11 of them wrote a letter to notify the Senate leadership of their defection from PDP to APC.

    He noted that the letter which was given to the Senate President on Wednesday, was a notification of change of political party “by myself and 10 other senators from the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC)”.

    He added: “So, I felt that it was necessary for me to bring to your attention that the letter has not yet been read.”

    Ekweremadu promptly responded that the Senate President had travelled.

    He said “before he (Mark) traveled, he told me that you (Saraki) had a discussion with him and agreed to have a meeting on Monday”.

    Saraki, who appeared not to be satisfied with Ekweremadu’s response thundered: “That is not the case, sir. I submitted the letter yesterday (Wednesday) and he (Mark) indicated the intention that he would like to meet with senators.

    “The two issues, submitting the letter and his request for the meeting do not seem that the meeting was subject to the bringing of the letter. So, I felt that the two are two separate issues.”

    Ekweremadu insisted: “Unfortunately, this is my own understanding of your dialogue with him and he is not here. So I believe that we whould stand down any issue relating to that until he comes back.”

    Ekweremadu’s response provoked a massive protest by APC senators.

    Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) raised another Point of Order.

    He said: “I, Senator Danjuma Goje, representing Gombe Central and 10 others sent a letter to the Senate President, formally informing him to inform the chamber that we have defected from PDP to APC.

    “We thought the letter would have been read yesterday (Wednesday); it was not read yesterday. We feel it should be read today (Thursday).

    “I think it is our right and privilege for the letter to be read. I have defected. Ten other senators who signed that letter have also defected from PDP to APC. So I demand that that letter be read.”

    Ekweremadu replied: “Well, first of all, I think you came late because we have discussed this matter earlier before you arrived and we have taken a decision on this.”

    There was a deafening shout of “no, no, no” by senators who opposed Ekweremadu’s comment.

    Undaunted, Ekweremadu said: “You did not sign any letter for defection; why are you saying no? So, I am addressing those who wrote a letter.

    “Just to recap; I said before you came in that the Senate President has travelled and that before he travelled, he told me that he had a discussion with distinguished Senator Saraki and that he will meet on Monday with those of you who want to defect from PDP. So, he did not give me any letter to read.”

    Minority Leader George Akume rose to emphasise that there was nothing unconstitutional about the defection of the 11 Senators.

    Akume said: “Mr. President, I speak on behalf of those of us who have sworn to protect the Constitution of this country. Mr. President, you are not new to this system.

    “We are all Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This country operates a bicameral legislature. This country has only one Constitution that guides our operations. Therefore, what is constitutional in the House of Representatives cannot be unconstitutional in the Senate.”

    Ekweremadu did not want to hear that.

    He said: “Sorry, sorry, sorry, I have to stop you. Please, you have to wait. Minority Leader, under which procedure are you coming now?

    “I don’t see what the problem is. Senator Saraki raised a Point of Order that he sent a letter containing the names of senators who want to defect. He said he gave it to Senator Mark, who is the President of the Senate.

    “Today, Mark is not here and before he traveled, he told me that there was a discussion he had. And I appealed to Senator Saraki to wait until Mark comes back. My own understanding is that the discussion had something to do with the letter.

    “So, there is no way you will tell me to believe somebody who is here and I don’t believe somebody who is not here. That would be unfair to Senator Mark.

    “My appeal is that we leave all these matters, make progress and, by Tuesday, Mark will be here. So, if there is any need to read the letter, then we would read the letter.”

    Senator Anthony Adeniyi (Ekiti South), who quoted Order 26 of the Senate, noted that in the absence of the Senate President, the Deputy Senate President shall perform all the duties and functions of the Senate President.

    Some Senators shouted “no, no, no”, in an attempt to heckle the APC Ekiti State senator.

    Adeniyi was not intimidated as he continued with his address.

    “Fortunately, the Senate President told this chamber that he is aware of the letter. I urge the Deputy Senate President to read the letter,” Adeniyi said.

    But, Ekweremadu said he was not limited in manner but that the matter under discussion had already been settled with Saraki, who raised it.

    He asked Adeniyi to read Order 39, which spells out the order of business for the Senate for the day. He said the session was already on the last business for the day.

    Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), who came under Order 14 (b), reminded the Senate that “whenever a matter of privilege arises, it shall be taken up immediately”.

    Ekweremadu noted that he had already done that.

    He said: “I have dealt with that and we are making progress. Senator Saraki raised it and I have ruled on it. Let us not waste our time on this, please. Let us leave this matter until the Senate President comes back. It would be his word against Saraki’s.”

    With that, the matter was kept in view.

  • Goje wants ‘stay of proceedings’ in money laundering case

    Goje wants ‘stay of proceedings’ in money laundering case

    The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has set aside April 12 for ruling in the application filed before it for stay of proceedings in the money laundering case against the former Governor of the state, Senator Danjuma Goje.

    Presiding Judge, Justice Babtunde Qadiri took the decision after considering the arguments of both the defense and prosecuting counsels.

    The defense Counsel led by Adeniyi Akintola had filed a motion urging the court to stay proceedings in the substantive trial, pending an appeal filed by them at the Court of Appeal, Jos, on the decision of the court to continue entertaining the case in Gombe.

    He argued that the accused persons had to appeal because they had earlier requested that the hearing venue be shifted from Gombe to any part of the country for reasons bordering on security.

    However, counsel to EFCC, Wahab Shittu drew the attention of the court to section 122, 123 and 124 of the Evidence Act 2007, arguing that you cannot use such right to stay proceedings.

    He therefore objected to the request, saying a continuation of the case was paramount since the appeal on change of venue does not relate to the merits of the case.

    Shittu said granting stay of proceedings as requested by the accused would delay the conclusion of such a criminal case.

     

  • Court strikes out Goje’s bid to transfer case

    Court strikes out Goje’s bid to transfer case

    The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has struck out the application of immediate past governor of the state, Senator Danjuma Goje, seeking to transfer his trial to Abuja or any other part of the country outside the northeast geo-political zone.

    Chris Uche SAN, Counsel to Goje had previously applied to the court to transfer the trial of his client outside Gombe State and the northeast on the ground of insecurity.

    He argued that the sensitive nature of the case vis-à-vis the security challenge in Gombe State and the entire northeast necessitated the application, even as he acknowledged insecurity in Abuja and elsewhere.

    The prosecution Counsel, Wahab Shittu, who agreed with the claims of insecurity across the country, said government was doing everything possible to address the situation.

    He then submitted that seeking to transfer the case out of Gombe was tantamount to attempting to slow down the process and eventually the course of justice.

    He pleaded that the application be thrown out.

    Delivering his judgment, the presiding Judge, Justice Babtunde Qadiri said that after carefully studying the arguments of both the Prosecution and Defense counsels, he arrived at the conclusion that they shared common grounds.

    He acknowledged that there has been series of attacks in Gombe and other parts of the country and the rights of all the accused to fair hearing has not been infringed.

    The Judge, however, observed that none of the accused persons or counsels had been attacked or subjected to any threat since the case commenced.

    He added that relocating the case will give a different impression to the common man.

    He therefore rejected the application for change of venue saying, “this application is hereby rejected for now. However if any of the accused persons, counsels or witnesses face harassment, no matter how little, even if it is a phone call, please inform the court.”

     

  • EFCC rejects transfer of Goje’s trial to Abuja

    EFCC rejects transfer of Goje’s trial to Abuja

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday said it has opposed the request of a former Gombe State governor, Danjuma Goje, to transfer his trial for conspiracy and money laundering from the Federal High Court in Gombe to Abuja.

    Goje and five others (Aliyu El-Nafaty, Sambo Tumu, S.M. Dokoro and S.M. Dokoro Gombe) are standing trial before Justice Babatunde O. Quadri.

    A statement signed by the Head of Media and Publicity of the anti-graft commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said at the resumption of trial on Tuesday, Goje sought transfer of his case from Gombe to Abuja .

    The statement said: “At Tuesday’s sitting, the defence team led by Chris Uche (SAN) drew the court’s attention to the letter written to the Chief Justice of the Federation for change of venue and transfer of the case from the present court in Gombe to Abuja or any other jurisdiction outside Gombe State for security reasons.

    “He urged the court to suspend proceedings while awaiting the directive from the CJN, before hearing of the pending application.

    “But prosecution Counsel, Wahab Shittu objected, saying the court can continue with the matter pending any response from the CJN.

    “Justice Quadri upheld the prosecution’s argument and urged both counsel to consider the stress of coming from outside Gombe and seize the opportunity of time.

    “Arguing his motion for transfer before the court, Uche quoted some sections of the Federal High Court Act 2004 and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to support his motion.

    “He predicated his request on the grounds that the matter is a high profile one and that the security situation in the North-East zone with regularly reported incidents of killings, kidnappings, bomb blasts and assassinations underline the need to protect the lives of the accused persons and their lawyers.

    “In his response, Shittu called the court’s attention to the fact that in all the proceedings prior to the application, there had been no incident in court to warrant the request for transfer.

    Wahab said: “This application lacks merit and only determined to delay the wheel of justice and your lordship is entitled to resist it.

    “What is the application saying, that your lordship should transfer this case to Abuja? The presumption is that Abuja is safe to hear this case. Do we believe them? Or is the applicant saying that the case should be transferred to the Villa since they deposed in paragraph 13 of their affidavit that the last Independence Day was moved out of its traditional place – the Eagle Square -to the villa for security reasons?”

    “Shittu urged the court to throw out the application as acceding to it would be tantamount to setting a precedence which may encourage other persons with cases before the court to seek transfer of their cases to choice places.”