A former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, was on Tuesday arraigned at the State High Court, Ibadan, accused of misappropriation of state funds, concealment and fraud.

Alao-Akala, slammed with 11 counts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, was arraigned before Justice Mashood Abass, with his former Commissioner for Local Government, who is currently representing Oyo North in the Senate, Senator Hosea Agboola; and Chairman, Pentagon Engineering Services, Mr. Olufemi Babalola.

The three pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against them.

The ex-governor’s counsel, Mamman Osman (SAN), asked for bail following which the judge adjourned till Wednesday (today) for ruling on the bail application while Alao-Akala and the others were ordered to be remanded in the custody of the State Security Service.

However, the arraignment of an ex-governor of Ogun State, Otunba Ghenga Daniel, did not take place in Abeokuta as expected; ditto that of an ex-governor of Nasarawa State, Akwe Doma, who was billed to be arraigned in Abuja on Tuesday.

Alao-Akala, Daniel and Doma were all picked up by the EFCC last Thursday and detained in Abuja over allegations of misappropriating a total of N101bn public funds.

The anti-graft agency had said on Monday that the governors would go on trial beginning from Tuesday.

Aides and supporters of Daniel waited in vain for hours in the premises of the court on Abeokuta. There was no official clarification as at the time of going to press on why the arraignment of Daniel did not take place.

One of his counsel, Mr. Yemi Oke, however in a statement at the court announced that Daniel had commenced hunger strike to protest his non-arraignment.

“Because of the worsening condition under which he is being held and the curtailment of his fundamental rights, the former governor has declined food and medication, which has raised serious concern about his health,” Oke said.

He faulted the EFCC for allegedly flouting court processes seeking to enforce the fundamental human rights of the ex-governor.

He said Daniel’s continued detention without formal charges amounted to infringements on his fundamental human rights.

He said, “Under normal circumstances, Otunba Daniel should have been arraigned in court since he has spent more than the required period specified by law in detention. But at the time of issuing this statement, he has not been arraigned in court and no charge has been preferred against him. Yet he is being detained and his fundamental human rights curtailed for no just cause. Only his wife is allowed access to him.

“This morning (yesterday), the EFCC has been served with court processes by Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s lawyers led by Professor Taiwo Osipitan (SAN) and Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) seeking to enforce his fundamental human rights. This has been ignored by the agency.

“This disposition of the EFCC has left us with no alternative than to conclude that there are other motives for the continued detention of Otunba Daniel other than the investigation of an alleged crime.

Otherwise, he should have been admitted to administrative bail or formally charged to court.”