Former Adamawa State Governor Lands in EFCC Custody...What He Did Wrong Will Interest You

James Ngilari

 

James Ngilari, a former governor of Adamawa State, has been remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

 

His remand was ordered by a High Court sitting in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

 

According to The Punch, a statement by the EFCC’s spokesman for the Gombe Zonal office, Gbenga Aroyehun, which was made available to newsmen in Bauchi, said that Justice Nathan Musa of the Adamawa State High Court, presided over the court sitting which sat in Yola on Wednesday.

 

He said the EFCC had charged Ngilari for the violation of procurement laws in the award of a N167m contract to one El-Yadi Motors Limited for the supply of 25 units of Toyota Corolla.

 

Aroyehun said the anti-graft agency had instituted a 19 count-charge against Ngilari, the former secretary to the state government who served under him, Ibrahim Welye, and a former Commissioner of Finance and Budget, Sanda Jonathan Lamurde.

 

He stated that, “the EFCC accused them of conspiracy, lack of No Objection Certificate, no competitive bidding and others in the procurement process for the contract.

“The three pleaded not guilty and their lawyers applied for bail on their behalf which the prosecution opposed.”

 

The commission’s spokesman also said that “the court ruled that they should be remanded in custody while he adjourned until today (Thursday) for ruling on bail application.”

 

Ngilari was still in the custody of the EFCC as of the time (6.25pm) of filing this report.

 

Meanwhile, the Media Initiative against Injustice, Violence and Corruption, has called on the EFCC to revisit the corruption cases against former state governors.

 

The Executive Director of MIIVOC, Dr. Walter Duru, said it was shocking to note that more than 12 years after some former governors were accused of misappropriating their states’ funds, their cases appeared to have been swept under the carpet.

 

Duru, who made reference to the cases against former governors of Abia, Rivers, Plateau, Enugu and Akwa Ibom states, said it was unacceptable for the cases to remain in the file without the EFCC reopening them.