YEARS after leaving office, many former
governors suspected to have looted the resources
of their states are to face criminal prosecution.
As a prelude to taking on the suspects, who are
no fewer than 31 in number, the Federal
Government recently raised a national
prosecution team made up of eminent Nigerian
lawyers to review all the corruption cases already
investigated by anti-graft agencies over the years.
File photo: Cross section of Nigeria Governors'
Forum. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.
Ironically, many of the suspects left office as early
as 2003, while the rest ended their tenure and
lost immunity from prosecution between 2007
and 2015 but were never questioned by any of
the agencies.
Most of them were reportedly investigated by the
Justice Mustapha Akanbi-led Independent Corrupt
Practices and other offices Commission, ICPC,
while others were probed by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The Buhari administration, whose major agenda is
to eradicate corruption from the polity, is said to
be upset that the suspected politically exposed
persons have not been brought to justice,
thereby giving fillip to many other politicians to
loot with impunity.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar
Malami, confirmed to Vanguard at the weekend,
that all the corruption cases against the former
governors were being reviewed.
“I can confirm that all the cases referred to are
being reviewed to ensure that those who have
cases are brought to book, while those who have
no case are cleared once and for all,” the minister
said.
Plans to revoke Odili, others' cases
Vanguard learned from competent sources that
the Federal Government had also begun moves to
revoke the perpetual injunction secured by
former Rivers State governor, Dr. Peter Odili, to
pave the way for his trial over alleged
mismanagement of N100 billion by his
administration.
The government is said to be making the point
that the judge who granted the injunction worked
against the overall interest of justice as the
constitution of Nigeria didn’t give the judge the
power to permanently protect a suspect from
being investigated and tried for financial crimes.
The federal judge, who gave the injunction, is said
to be under pressure to explain to legal
authorities why he granted such an order and
whether in his opinion, the cause of justice had
been effectively served by his questionable
decision.
The EFCC is said to be working relentlessly to set
aside the injunction, which had shaken the
judicial circles since it was given by the judge in
2007.
The Attorney General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, is said to
have written to the Chairman of the Independent
Corrupt Practices and other related offences
Commission directing the reopening of the cases.
A top source in ICPC confirmed that many of the
former governors were investigated and charged
to court but that the cases had not made
progress, thus giving the impression that nothing
was done about them.
Among the former governors whose cases are
being reopened are President of the Senate, Dr.
Abubakar Bukola Saraki (Kwara); factional
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali
Modu Sheriff (Borno); the Senate Minority Leader,
Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); and Dr. Peter Odili
(Rivers).
The case files, according to sources in the Ministry
of Justice, have already been recalled for
necessary actions.
Others, whose cases are being reviewed, include
Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), Chimaroke Nnamani
(Enugu), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), Sule Lamido
(Jigawa), Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Ahmed Yerima
(Zamfara), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Martin Elechi
(Ebonyi), Danjuma Goje (Gombe) and Murtala
Nyako (Adamawa).
The rest are: Ikedi Ohakim (Imo), Obong Victor
Attah (Akwa Ibom), Achike Udenwa (Imo),
Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), Gbenga Daniel
(Ogun), Jolly Nyame (Taraba), Boni Haruna
(Adamawa), George Akume (Benue), Rashidi
Ladoja (Oyo), Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto),
Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo), Usman Dakingari
(Kebbi), Adamu Mu’azu (Bauchi), and Lucky
Igbinedion (Edo).
In reviewing the cases, Malami said: “It is clear
that some of these governors and other politically-
exposed persons have not been charged to court,
despite the fact that the ICPC has concluded their
investigations concerning allegations levelled
against them, for one reason or the other.
“It is the position of the present administration
that these suspects must be prosecuted in line
with the anti-corruption agenda of the
government,” Malami said.