How Alao-Akala used looted funds to buy property, by EFCC


Court remands ex-gov in SSS custody

Daniel’s trial stalls, goes on hunger strike

Now, it is official: former governor of Oyo State, Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, Senate Deputy Chief Whip, who was Commissioner for Local Government under Alao-Akala,  Hosea Agboola, and an engineer, Femi Babalola (a.k.a. Jogor), have a case to answer.

Before an Ibadan High Court where they were arraigned yesterday, the EFCC preferred 11 charges of gross misconduct and abuse of office against them.

Their offences ranged from conspiracy, illegal award of contracts, obtaining by false pretence, acquiring property with money derived from illegal acts to concealing the ownership of such property.

And for the second day, the EFCC failed yesterday to arraign former Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, in court.

The commission’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, had assured on Monday that Daniel would appear before a state High Court in Abeokuta yesterday.

Babafemi had linked the commission’s inability to arraign Daniel and others on Monday to the absence of judges to handle the case.   The former governor was due to be arraigned before the Federal High Court, Oke-Mosan and the state High Court, Isabo, Ogun State, based on the petitions written against him.

Just like they did on Monday, Daniel’s supporters besieged the court premises as early as 7.30 a.m., but were denied access to the premises. Mobile policemen stationed at the gate of the Federal High Court searched journalists and court officials, ahead of the proceedings, which did not hold.

Later yesterday, the EFCC said it was making effort to arraign Daniel, Danjuma Goje, former governor of Gombe State, now a senator, and Aliyu Akwe-Doma, immediate past governor of Nasarawa State before the court.

Daniel’s legal team however attempted to make a political capital out of his detention, as it alleged that a former president was behind his ordeal.

As at 4.00 p. m., the closing time of the court, there was no sign that the embattled former governor would still be arraigned yesterday.

However, counsel to Daniel, Yemi Oke, rued the treatment meted to his client by the EFCC.

Alao-Akala and the other accused persons, were driven into the court premises in a Coaster bus marked AJ 134 SBC Kaduna accompanied by EFCC officials at 8.15 a.m., the former governor pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Clad in white guinea brocade with black cap, Alao-Akala was calm throughout the proceedings. He took time to acknowledge cheers from his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters and loyalists who had thronged the court to show their solidarity with him.

Agboola was the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs during Alao-Akala’s tenure until April when he won the election into the Senate.

Babalola, who is the chairman of a notable events centre in Ibadan, Jogor and Pentagon Engineering Services, was the contractor in charge of all projects awarded by the immediate past administration.

The Alao-Akala administration had awarded contracts for the construction of a five-kilometre road in each of the 33 local councils for N250 million.

This was widely criticised by the opposition, which accused him of siphoning the state’s funds through the contract.

Some aggrieved persons petitioned the EFCC, alleging financial misappropriation and recklessness.

In the charges read to the accused persons before the trial judge, Justice Moshood Abass, the trio were accused of conspiracy and award of N8.5 billion road contracts in the councils between 2007 and 2009 without provisions in the budget.

Besides, the accused persons were alleged to have awarded contracts worth N2.270 billion in 2007 for the supply of 33 drilling machines and another put at N355 million for the supply of 20 Roro trucks and 200 pieces of skip bins.

They were also alleged to have obtained by false pretence the sum of N269 million from the state and local government joint account.

Alao-Akala was also accused of buying two choice property in Ibadan with money realised from the illegal acts and two others in London using a false identity.

On his part, Babalola allegedly obtained N269 million from the state and local council joint account in addition to another N347 million from various contractors engaged in road construction in the 33 councils.

After pleading not guilty to the charges, counsel to the EFCC, Chief Godwin Obla, urged the court to remand the accused in custody to enable the commission prepare for trial.

But the accused counsel, Mamman Osuman (SAN), who led other Senior Advocates, including Bolaji Ayorinde, Nathaniel Oke and G.M.O Oguntade, told the court of his pending application for bail and sought to move it.

He said the need to urgently hear the application was predicated on the fact that the suspects, particularly Alao-Akala, had been in the EFCC custody in the past six days.

Osuman said the accused persons unnecessary and unconstitutional stay in custody of the commission was the basis of his application for bail.

But Obla objected to hearing the bail application, saying he was entitled to the constitutional provision of 48 hours to respond.

Justice Abass, who rose briefly to write his ruling, adjourned the case till noon today for hearing of the bail application.

Abass said since the accused persons responded to the prosecution’s application filed within 24 hours, their bail application must also be heard within a reasonable time.

He fixed hearing for today and directed that the accused persons be remanded in custody of the State Security Service (SSS) but must be given access to their counsel and four other lawyers, doctors and one spouse each.

In a statement made available to journalists in Abeokuta, Oke alleged that Daniel is held under inhuman conditions and subjected to gruesome interrogations.

“As it is generally known, he was taken into custody on Thursday, October 6, 2011 by EFCC officials. Since then under the guise of investigating allegations contained in petitions written against him, the former governor has been detained at the EFCC facility in Abuja under unbearable conditions.

“In the last four days, he has been subjected to gruesome interrogations by operatives of the commission. Under normal circumstances, 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,” he said.

The counsel stressed that despite this, Daniel is being detained and his fundamental human rights curtailed for no just cause. He added that only his wife is allowed access to him.

He said yesterday morning, the EFCC was served with court processes by Daniel’s lawyers led by Prof. Taiwo Osipitan (SAN) and Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) seeking to enforce his fundamental human rights.


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Let the court decide