Immediate past Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Mr Charles Iliya, has denied receiving car gift from some All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains in the state just as he also denied the claim by the Gombe State Asset Recovery Committee that he voluntarily surrendered his cars to the committee alleging that the said cars were recovered from his premises at gunpoint by well-armed security personnel on the order of the Committee.
An embarrassed Charles Iliya told newsmen in Gombe that the claim by the committee that he voluntarily surrendered his cars was not true adding that, “ A few weeks ago, I received a letter from the Committee set up by the State Government to recover all properties of government illegally disposed of.”
He further narrated that, “Just a day in between, I received some visitors comprising almost entirely armed Policemen, standing along the street in front of my house while some came into my premises. Four of the Policemen led by one Senior Police Officer whose name I cannot recollect now came into my parlour and all were carrying guns. They said they came to recover government properties in my possession”.
“I was shown a search warrant and that convinced me that truly they are members of the Committee and I explained to them how I got the cars. I gave them the letter of allocation and the receipt of payment because they (cars) weren’t given freely; I bought them”, he added.
Charles Illiya added that “After showing them the proof of ownership, they insisted on collecting the cars. Therefore the word voluntary that followed after is what I don’t understand. The word voluntary would have meant after receiving their letter, I would have either taken the vehicles to them or told them please come and collect your vehicles.”
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“But in a situation whereby there are people outside my house with guns, inside my premises with guns and in my parlour with guns and insisted they want the cars? I leave the subject matter to the public to interpret whether that was a voluntary action,” he said.
He said that three cars were ‘forcefully’ taken from him which he listed as one Lexus Jeep and two Prado Jeeps that were his official cars while in office adding that he was waiting for the committee to return his cars or the money, adding that if it fails to do so, he would seek legal redress.
He stressed that he felt bad that after serving the state, he was isolated out of many for such treatment saying: “ Since I am the only odd one given this kind of treatment, I feel some injustice has been done to me.”
On the alleged car gifts from APC chieftains in the state, the former Deputy Governor who admitted to hearing the news of the car gifts around town insisted that he had not been contacted by anybody over it yet.
He said that “I was told that such and such a person has given me a vehicle; about five people, they said. And I have not even had a phone call with any of them. It is not true”.
“Certainly I have friends within the APC, my party the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and even those who are not fully involved in political activities, because I do keep a quiet relationship. So if they are outpouring sympathy to me, it is based on such development and lifestyle we have kept,” Charles Iliya said.
Speaking further, the former deputy Governor said he is still waiting for the committee to submit its report and the decision of the state Governor on the seized properties he, however, appreciated those who have shown him sympathy over the seizure of some of his assets.
Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya had set up the Committee following his inauguration to recover alleged government property improperly disposed of by the immediate past administration of former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo.
The Committee which is chaired by retired Group Capt. Peter Bilal, had on June 21, alleged the former Deputy Governor voluntarily surrendered his cars to them.