The judge of Federal High Court, Jos Justice B. O. Quadiri has said that the former Governor of Gombe State Senator Danjuma Goje’s corruption case would be holding twice or thrice a year due to judge’s tight schedules.

The judge made this known in Jos Friday, during Senator Goje’s alleged N25bn fraud case- including contracts of food supplies to the Gombe State Government House and N1bn contract on provision of dictionaries to the secondary schools in the state while he was in office. Justice Quadiri while explaining the reason for the case to be holding twice or thrice a year stated that he presides cases in three cities of the nation including Gombe, Jos and Port -Harcourt and recently was transferred to Abuja.

“I have tight schedules, I am presiding over many cases in Jos, Gombe and Port Harcourt, and now I have been transferred to Abuja. It would take me February and March to settle in Abuja, my new place in Abuja would need me, so also in three other places. Therefore that would compel this sitting to be holding twice or at most thrice a year,” he said. On what transpired during the two day sitting in the court, the counsel to the plaintiffs- EFCC and Gombe State, Bar. Wahab Shittu presented three witnesses which include the Permanent Secretary and Accounting Officer, Gombe State Government House, Dr Sani Dajure, Tax Clearance Officer, Gombe State Inland Revenue Service, Alhaji Mohammed B. Bajure and the Comply Officer, Access Bank, Gombe Branch, Ifesineke Unwafili.

The defense counsel, Adeniyi Akintola said that the exhibit HHH1 and HHH2 tendered by the EFCC’s witness were not violated by the defendant. He clarified that Sen. Goje when he was the governor of Gombe State was worried about financial regulations in the state and hence introduced due process clearance in 2008 to check-mate fraud in contracts.

The second witness, Alhaji Mohammed B. Bajure tendered tax clearance certificate of 3 years receipt of 2002, 2003 and 2004, which also during cross examination admitted that the first defendant has obtained tax clearance for the contracts he has awarded. The judge adjourned the sitting to 25th and 26th April, 2017.

"Exciting news! TheNigeriaLawyer is now on WhatsApp Channels 🚀 Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest legal insights!" Click here! ....................................................................................................................... Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material and other digital content on this website, in whole or in part, without express and written permission from TheNigeriaLawyer, is strictly prohibited _________________________________________________________________ [Register Now] ILA Nigeria Branch Marks 10 Years With Infrastructure Financing As Theme For 7th Annual Conference The International Law Association - Nigeria Branch 7th annual conference on public-private partnerships for sustainable infrastructure financing, April 4-5 in Abuja. Details: https://ilanigeria.org.ng/conference _________________________________________________________________

NIALS' Compendia Series: Your One-Stop Solution For Navigating Nigerian Laws (2004-2023)

Email: info@nials.edu.ng, tugomak@yahoo.co.uk, Contact: For Inquiry and information, kindly contact, NIALS Director of Marketing: +2348074128732, +2348100363602.