The trial of former Gombe State Governor, Senator Mohammad Danjuma Goje continued on Tuesday before Justice B Quadri at the Federal High Court Jos with four witnesses testifying.

Goje, alongside Aliyu El-Nafaty, S. M. Dokoro and Sabo Muhammad Tumu, are being prosecuted by the Economic and financial crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges of conspiracy, money laundering and embezzlement of funds belonging to the Gombe State Government

At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, the prosecution presented two witnesses from the banks in which the Gombe State Government under Goje maintained accounts. First to testify was Efecineke Owofele of Access Bank and the 10th witness to for the prosecution.

He narrated how a N5 billion facility was disbursed to Gombe State Capital Projects accounts in trenches of N1 billion on November 2, 2010; N1 billion on November 30, 2010; N1 billion on January 12, 2011 and N2 billion on February 24, 2011.

He explained that after the disbursements, the money was moved to various banks in favour of different companies. The account documents were tendered and admitted as exhibit.

The 11th prosecution witness, Ipram Elisha, who is Zenith Bank’s head of operations/compliance officer, while being led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu, informed the court that he was familiar with the Gombe State's Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB)/Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) account number 1010731777 domicile at Zenith Bank Gombe. He stated that on December 15 and 23, 2010, N830,725, 682.82 was transferred from the SUBEB/UBEC account.

However, when Seyoji Muhammad Tukur, Gombe State Accountant General, was called to give his evidence, the prosecution counsel urged the court to accept the statement of the witness as his testimony since it was primary evidence.

This was objected to by the defence counsel Chris Uche, SAN on the ground that the witness was in court. According to him, the statement of the witness could only be substituted for testimony if he was dead or he was nowhere to be found. Uche was however over ruled by the Judge.

In his evidence, Tukur stated that based on the report received by his office, the contract for the supply of dictionaries were not completed.

The state's Appropriation Acts of 2007 to 2011 were tendered as exhibit through the Director of Legal Services of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Barrister Rukaiyatu Adamu Jalo.

The case was adjourned to June 21, 2017 for continuation of trial.

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