A Witness in the ongoing trial of a former governor of Gombe State and
serving senator, Danjuma Goje, Shehu Mohammed Atiku has told a Federal
High Court, Gombe that the ex-governor forged the Resolution of the
House and collected N5bn (five billion naira) facility from Access Bank.
“My Lord, the said resolution did not emanate from the Gombe State
House of Assembly and I was not a signatory to it”, said Atiku, a former
Clerk of the Gombe State House of Assembly and one of the three
witnesses called by prosecuting counsel, Wahab Shitu.
Atiku,
while testifying told the court that, “as the Admin Officer of the
House, I chair management committee of the House, keep the record of
House proceedings and maintain its records”.
However, the court had
to cut short the proceeding and adjourn for further hearing owing to the
fracas that ensued as suspected political thugs invaded the court
premises and disrupted the proceedings.
The thugs also launched
attack on the accused persons and others outside the court premises
during which the second accused person, Aliyu El-Nafarty and one other
person were seriously wounded.
In the melee, vehicles were vandalized including that of the defence counsel, Paul Erokoro, SAN.
The attack forced the presiding judge, Justice B. O. Quadri to adjourn to November 25, 2015.
Justice
Quadir condemned the attack and directed both counsel to do a report on
what happened which he promised to forward to the Chief Judge, Federal
High Court for necessary action.
Goje, alongside four other
accused persons are being prosecuted by the EFCC on charges of
conspiracy, money laundering and embezzlement of funds belonging to the
state government.
