Ade Adesomoju, Abuja

The Federal Government, through its newly set up National Prosecution Coordination Committee, may start filing fraud charges against some former governors before the end of October, The PUNCH learnt on Sunday.

It was learnt that the NAPCC and some of the special teams of prosecutors, pooled together by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, had commenced the review of the corruption cases involving some of the former governors and politically-exposed persons.

A top member of the NPCC told our correspondent on Sunday that the preliminary issues would be completed soon and the Federal Government’s special teams of prosecutors would start filing charges against some of the ex-governors.

The PUNCH gathered that various anti-graft agencies and other law enforcement bodies with prosecutorial powers had since complied with the directive issued by the AGF in August, asking them to remit the duplicate files of the high profile cases they were handling to the NPCC.

Earlier, The PUNCH had reported on July 28 that the AGF had written to both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, calling for the duplicate files of the alleged corruption cases involving some named 31 ex-governors.

A source, familiar with the ongoing review of the cases, said, “You will recall that before the NPCC began work, the AGF had written to the EFCC and ICPC, asking them to remit the duplicate files of 31 ex-governors and some other politically-exposed persons to his office.

“While the anti-corruption agencies had yet to respond, the AGF again asked the various agencies with prosecutorial powers, including the ICPC and the EFCC, to compile and remit the duplicate files of all high profile cases they had to the NPCC. “I can tell you that the agencies have responded to the AGF’s directive and the NPCC is now reviewing the files.”

The source added that the files had been distributed to some of the 20 prosecuting teams, each comprising four lawyers, also recently pooled together by the Federal Government through the AGF.

The source stated, “We don’t want to rush to court. So we have asked some of our teams of prosecutors to look into the files and review the evidence and draft charges where there is sufficient evidence. “After the review is completed, we will then hold a conference of all the lawyers to review the drafted charges before filing.

“We expect that all these will be concluded soon and we start filing the charges before the end of this month.”

The PUNCH obtained the list of the former governors, who were named in the AGF’s letter, and reported that some of the ex-governors included some who had been convicted for fraud charges preferred against them by the EFCC.
Some of them also had their cases terminated before full-blown trials could begin.

Others were said to be currently undergoing trial on charges initiated against them by the EFCC at either the various divisions of the Federal High Courts or the High Courts of their home states. There are about five of the former governors who are now serving senators. The affected personalities, it was learnt, served as governors for either one or two terms between 1999 and 2015, and were from the six geopolitical zones of the country.

The list contained the names of Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is a former Governor of Kwara State; Godswill Akpabio, a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State; and a factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who is an ex-Governor of Borno State.

Other former governors 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).

They also include Ikedi Ohakim (Imo); Achike Udenwa (Imo); Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa); Gbenga Daniel (Ogun); Jolly Nyame (Taraba); Boni Haruna (Adamawa); George Akume (Benue); Rashidi Ladoja (Oyo); Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto) and Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo).

Others are Usman Dakingari (Kebbi); Adamu Mu’azu (Bauchi); Peter Odili (Rivers), and Lucky Igbindedion (Edo).

But among them, only Udenwa, Mu’azu, Dakingari, Sheriff, Akume, Elechi and Akpabio have never been charged by any of the anti-corruption agencies.

Apart from the charges relating to his assets declared to the CCB, full-blown criminal charges relating to his tenure as Governor of Kwara State have also not been filed against Saraki.Part of the AGF’s letter indicated that the cases against some of the former governors were investigated some years ago but charges were never filed against them.

The letter partly read, “It is clear that some of these (ex-) 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 all ex-governors, who the ICPC had long concluded investigations into the various allegations levelled against them, should be immediately prosecuted.”

When contacted by our correspondent on Sunday, Special Adviser to the AGF and the spokesperson for the NPCC, Salihu Isah, said he needed time to make inquiries about the level of work of the committee.

http://punchng.com/fraud-fg-may-file-charges-ex-governors-october/

I want one as a scape goat

Finally Peter "perpetual injuction" Odili shall face justice

I thought I was going to see Amaechi on this list..

And Theodore Orji

Osyabj:


Finally Peter "perpetual injuction" Odili shall face justice

One should be picked in all geo political zone

Efcc should do a thorough job

Less talk on media

We want action on the background

I want lucky Igbinedion to be prosecuted and sent to jail.
I have never seen a governor worse than him, Edo state was in ruins when he left, I was surprised how he escaped prosecution ever since.

Poor Saraki. Soon you shall be in 3 criminal trials simultaneously:

1) CCB Asset declaration
2) Senate Rules Forgery
3) Soceity General Bank and kwara treasury looting.

So them go release season two of this movie in October.... Abeg make we see the list of actor and actress in this movie oo...Nigeria=Drama land.

Cutehector:
I thought I was going to see Amaechi on this list..

And Theodore Orji

The fact that the AGF did not include the APC members, such as Amaechi, Fashola, etc, is called Prosecutorial discretion. Any issues Serving Ministers or top APC chieftains have would be quitely resolved and any restitution paid.

However, for any pdp e-rat to expect an APC Minister of Justice to charge another serving APC minister is living in fools paradise. Its not done and will never happen. So deal with.

Jonathan docked ONLY opposition former governors, like Tinubu, did not touch one pdp theif and haven did not fall.

Cutehector:
I thought I was going to see Amaechi on this list..
And Theodore Orji

you'll wait till thy kingdom come. The annoying thing about this is that all we'll get is media trial, nothing more nothing less. At the end no one will be persecuted

Boleyndynasty2:
you'll wait till thy kingdom come. The annoying thing about this is that all we'll get is media trial, nothing more nothing less. At the end no one will be persecuted

well, hell fire is sure for them..

eistien:
I want lucky Igbinedion to be prosecuted and sent to jail.
I have never seen a governor worse than him, Edo state was in ruins when he left, I was surprised how he escaped prosecution ever since.

Lucky escaped due to his pdp connection. But now Buhari is in the sadle. Either he coughs out the stolen Edo money or he goes to jail.

Buhari will not do anything, he is currenty doing his own stealing by not declaring the amount in tsa. Because he is hausa people will still praise him for stealing

And where's Amaechi and co?

okosodo:
Buhari will not do anything, he is currenty doing his own stealing by not declaring the amount in tsa. Because he is hausa people will still praise him for stealing

You obviously do not understand the comcept of TSA. it is intended to guard against stealling public funds at source.

The legitimate government expenses are still paid from TSA unlike before, where the looters share the money and tell the government that it made no money

sdindan:
And where's Amaechi and co?

The fact that the AGF did not include the APC members, such as Amaechi, Fashola, etc, is called Prosecutorial discretion. Any issues Serving Ministers or top APC chieftains have would be quitely resolved and any restitution paid.

However, for any pdp e-rat to expect an APC Minister of Justice to charge another serving APC minister is living in fools paradise. Its not done and will never happen. So deal with.

Jonathan docked ONLY opposition former governors, like Tinubu, did not touch one pdp theif and haven did not fall.

Lol

Nothing will happen at the end. More confusions will follow as the judiciary is corrupt.
It's just a waste of time.
No-one has been found guilty since this administration came into power.

divinehand2003:
Lol

Nothing will happen at the end. More confusions will follow as the judiciary is corrupt.
It's just a waste of time.
No-one has been found guilty since this administration came into power.

None of the accused wants to go to trial.

..until then? ..

sarrki:
I want one as a scape goat

you will grow grey hair waiting

Where is Tinubu and Ameachi?

The list is incomplete without Uduaghan.

Fashola and Ameachi are close to FG. Let the change begin with them

Good news!!!

Goats beware!!!

Pls, is this for real?! https://www.nairaland.com/3384210/wow-glo-promo-data-awoof


Have you said it today?!

GOD Bless Nigeria!!!

They gat to be specific,It PDP ex Governs,I know how our Fg treat issues.

The news wey we they see is simply explained APC. vs PDP

Shior.

October 2020 they mean?

Same way they filed charges against Saraki, Dasuki, etc .

Who else is tired of this Government of media propaganda, phantom charge filing and REAL hunger?.

Where's Amaechi and Fashola ?

What difference does it make? When they've been doing it since 2015 with no value added to the populace

I didn't see Rotimi Amechi......Buhari why?