A Federal High Court sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the immediate past governor of the state, Aliyu Akwe-Doma, and eight others arraigned over an alleged N15 billion fraud.The commission charged them with alleged money laundering and their bail application would be determined today.Prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro SAN, opposed the bail bid by all the accused.As exclusively reported by the Nigerian Tribune, the accused took their plea on a 17-count charge and pleaded not guilty.Doma was arraigned along with Senator John Dangoyi; Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin; Timothy Anthony Anjide; Dauda Egwa; Suleiman Ibrahim; Broworks Ltd and Green Forest Investment Ltd, while charges filed against two other accused, John Aigbakhode and Incapint Nig Ltd, who are still at large, were stepped down.A statement from the commission's spokesperson, Mr Femi Babafemi, stated that 'At about 9.30 a.m., the accused, brought in from Abuja under heavy security by EFCC operatives, were called into the dock to take their plea. One after the other, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges after which the defence team led by Lateef Fagbemi; Charles Edosomwan and M.I. Ameh, all SANs, informed the court of their pending applications for bail for the accused.'In his response, the prosecuting counsel, Pinheiro informed the court that he was served 10 applications between Monday and today (Tuesday)' and, as such, would need the court to step down for three hours to enable him to file his response opposing all the bail applications. The trial judge accepted with the position of the prosecution after which the court went on a recess and resumed sitting at 2.00 p.m.'At the resumed sitting, the prosecutor filed his application opposing the request by the accused to be granted bail. Justice Awokulehin, who had earlier assured both the prosecution and the defence of his preparedness to give the case expeditious trial, thereafter, adjourned till Wednesday, October 19, 2011, when he would rule on the applications and counter applications filed by both sides in the case.'He, therefore, ordered that all the accused be returned to the EFCC custody in Abuja.'While the court session was ongoing, hundreds of youths gathered in two camps, armed with placards and chanting anti and pro-Doma songs. There were, however, hundreds of security agents, including soldiers, SSS and the police on the ground to contain them.'Meanwhile, the former governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje and four others who were facing an 18-count charge of money laundering and diversion of public funds preferred against them by the EFCC, was on Tuesday, admitted to bail on stringent conditions by a Federal High Court sitting in Gombe.A statement from the commission said 'in his ruling on the bail application, Justice Babatunde Quadri said all the five accused are to present two sureties each in the sum of N200 million.'The sureties, according to the statement, were also to have properties in the metropolis of Gombe and the properties must be supported with a letter from the Ministry of Land that they were free from any encumbrance.
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