EFCC puts Goje on watch list

Posted by admin EFCC Politics, Gombe, State News Sunday, October 9th, 2011

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has put the erstwhile number one citizen of Gombe State, Danjuma Goje, (now a senator) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on its watch list, Sunday Sun can authoritatively report. Sources close to the anti-graft agency hinted that the statement credited to Goje promising to report on Monday is believed to be a ruse and a dummy to get the agency to let down its guard.

Our reporter learnt that operatives of the anti-graft commission have cordoned off the former governor’s residence since he’d refused to honour the invitation sent to him to appear before the commission for interrogation on the alleged embezzlement of the state’s funds.

This new move followed the commission’s recent arrest of former governors of Oyo, Ogun, and Nassarawa states, Christopher Adebayo Alao Akala, Gbenga Daniel and Akwe Doma respectively for alleged public embezzlement.
Contrary to the speculation that the former governor might have traveled out of the country to evade arrest, a reliable source within the EFCC said there are available evidence at the commission’s disposal to prove that Goje is still in Nigeria.

“Our belief is that the former governor as a member of the highest lawmaking organ in the country will not want to embarrass himself by his continued refusal to appear before the commission. Of course, we are not unaware of the insinuations that he might have traveled out of the country, but I can assure you that we have details of his movements. He is still very much in the country. We are only giving him the benefit of the doubt. But if he refuses to surrender himself, we will not hesitate to embarrass him. And at the appropriate time, we will effect his arrest.”

According to our source, all airports, seaports and national borders have been put on alert to apprehend Goje and to stop him from leaving the country. Sunday Sun also learnt that Goje and his family left town around 3.00 a.m on Friday and the EFCC agents saw them when they were leaving Abuja home. “As a senator, we had expected him to honour the letter of invitation sent to him.

But we are surprised that up till now the former governor has not thought it wise to make himself available for a chat so that he could clear his name of all the corrupt allegations. As far as we are concerned, the invitation is an opportunity for him to say his own side of the story because we would not want to go outside the ambit of the law in the discharge of our responsibilities. But we are watching the hide-and-seek game he is trying to play in this matter. He cannot decide when to honour the EFCC invitation but we will give him a long rope to hang himself”, said our source.

As a preemptive measure to forestall his planned escape, Sunday Sun further learnt, three of his houses in Abuja as well as his residence in Gombe have been put under surveillance of the anti-graft agency. As at press time, only his cooks were at his Asokoro home.

It will be recalled that three governors of Ogun, Ondo, and Nassarawa have been in the EFCC’s custody over allegation of corruption. They will be arraigned tomorrow and may be remanded in prison custody pending their bail application.

-Sunwp_posts