Steps up hunt for Goje' Babatope cautions anti-graft agency over ex-govs' arrestFORMER Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel and his two other erstwhile colleagues, Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo) and Aliu Akwe Doma (Nassarawa), may be arraigned today at an Abuja High Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged fraud committed against their states while at the helms of affairs there..The Guardian learnt that the move is meant to obtain a court injunction in order to legally keep the erstwhile governors in the EFCC custody for further questioning. .The anti-graft watchdog arrested the former governors last Thursday..It was also learnt that the EFCC has stepped up its hunt for Senator Danjuma Goje, a former Gombe State governor, over alleged fraud.Meanwhile, a member of Board of Trustees (BoT) of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ebenezer Babatope, has charged the EFCC 'to exercise caution' and 'show decency' in the ways it carries out its functions, and not turn itself into 'an inquisition.'Babatope, reacting to the recent arrest of Daniel, Alao-Akala and Doma, said the commission should not turn holding of public offices in Nigeria into a crime.In a statement yesterday, Babatope said the clear achievement of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration has been the establishment of the EFCC and the ICPC to fight corruption in Nigeria.According to him, 'as good and desirable as these organisations are, I will however want to appeal to the EFCC in particular to scale down considerably the seeming over-dramatisation of these arrests.'He added: 'A man is presumed innocent until proved guilty by judicial process. It is equally dangerous to assault the myths of leadership and authority in the way these arrests are being effected. I once again appeal to the EFCC not to turn the desirable body into an inquisition. We should not turn holding of public offices in Nigeria into a crime.'A source at the EFCC informed The Guardian yesterday that the Commission would charge the three former governors on money laundering at the Federal High Court while they might face charges of stealing and related offences at the state high courts.Commission's spokesman, Femi Babafemi, when contacted on the intention of EFCC to try the former governors at both federal and state high courts, stated that 'it's not impossible but I'll need to confirm from our lawyers'.Daniel will be arraigned for allegedly misappropriating N58.5 billion; Alao-Akala for allegedly embezzling N25 billion while Doma will be tried for allegedly stealing N18 billion.After their arraignment today, a source said the former governors 'may wish to be tried in their respective states like Audu, Boni Haruna and Jolly Nyame are being tried in their states. It's the same High Court.
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