A letter written to the Registrar of Jos Federal High Court by the Clerk of the National Assembly, M.A. Sani-Omolori has stalled the hearing of Senator Danjuma Goje’s N25 billion fraud case.

Recall that, it was in a suit No. FHC/GM/33c/2011, the Gombe State Govt. and Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) slammed 18 count charges on Danjuma Goje and 3 others and accused them of diverting N25bn from the coffers of Gombe state.

In the letter dated 11 April, 2017, the Clerk had said that the reason why Senator Goje wouldn’t be available before the court was due to the national assignment given to him regarding the 2017 budget as he is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation mandated with the sole responsibility of collating and finalising the budget which according to the clerk was expected to be passed around the period of 25th and 26 April, 2017.

This he said coincided with the continuation of the hearing of the case.

The letter, however, called on the indulgence of the court to adjourn the case for two weeks from 26th April to enable the Sen. Goje to attend the urgent national assignment.

While at the court, the Counsel to the Plaintiffs (EFCC and Gombe State Govt), Wahab Shittu insisted for the continuation of the hearing of the case because the matter is a criminal and joint trial which takes precedent over any subjected matter either from the Executive or Legislative arms of government.

He added that it has now become the regular pattern of the defendants to always call for the adjournment of the case over flimsy excuses.

While reacting, the counsel of the Defendants, Adeniyi Akintola said that this was the fifth time his clients requested for the adjournment of the case compared to 15 times by the Plaintiffs over one reason or the other.

The presiding judge, Justice B. O Quadiri in his ruling adjourned the continuation of the case to 20th and 21st, June, 2017. (Peoples Daily)

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