Ex-govs jittery as EFCC tightens noose

Basking in the euphoria of the conviction and imprisonment of former Abia State governor and Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is reportedly retooling to see more former governors in prison.

A top EFCC source disclosed that with five convictions in the kitty, the rest of the indicted former state helmsmen should be worried as their trial would be pursued to logical conclusions.

Kalu’s conviction is said to have sent shivers down the spines of others being prosecuted by the commission, although many of the cases have suffered long delay, just like Mr Kalu’s which ran for 12 years.

A senior lawyer who until recently was lead counsel to a former governor being prosecuted by the commission told Saturday Tribune that he was certain his former client would be jailed, considering the weight of evidence against him in the money laundering charges brought against him and an associate.

An EFCC insider said the cases would be taken and conducted on their individual merits, adding that the commission was committed to seeing all to the end.

Of the 28 former governors charged to court by the commission, starting with its pioneer chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, five have been jailed, while the trial of 22 others are at different stages.

Former Gombe State governor, Danjuma Goje, has had his charges withdrawn by the Federal Government.

Those who served prison terms home and abroad include former Edo State governor, Lucky Igbinedion; former Delta State governor, James Ibori, who served his term in London, following a collaboration between Met Police and the EFCC; former Taraba State governor, Reverend Jolly Nyame; former Plateau State governor, Senator Joshua Dariye and Kalu.

Dariye and Kalu are both serving senators elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) when convicted.

Their travails, particularly that of Kalu, reportedly got their colleague former governors worried, considering the allegation of one-sided prosecution of the anti-corruption war by the APC-led government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

However, there are still criticisms that alleged corrupt persons from the core North Hausa/Fulani stock are still being protected by the administration.

Apart from former military administrator of Kaduna State, a retired Brigadier General, who was indicted and freed in the arms deal of former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, tongues have also been wagging on the alleged slow pace of the trial of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.

Both are very close friends of the president.

Dasuki, a Sokoto prince, however, has a history of shared hostility with the president from their days in the military.

All bail orders extended to him by different courts have been spurned by the current administration.

With above 22 former governors being under probe or facing trial, an EFCC insider was quoted as ruling out plea bargain for the targeted individuals, regardless of how long it would take to conclude their cases.

“Cases are progressing well. There is no room for plea bargain. The commission is poised to go on full trial with all of them. That is the official position,” the source was quoted as saying.

Saturday Tribune, however, learnt that there has been a caveat to the position.

A very senior official of the commission disclosed off record that plea bargain was not illegal in itself but it would have to come from the indicted former governors seeking a soft-landing.

When pressed on whether such a plea would be considered by the commission’s leadership, the source said Saturday Tribune’s inquiry should be directed to the indicted persons to check with them if they want to plead guilty and seek a soft-landing.

The senior official, however, said a template was already in place for those who want to seek a truce among the indicted former governors, adding that a plea bargain would only work in a situation of total restitution.

The source explained this to mean that the indicted person being ready to forfeit all known and traceable properties as proceeds of crime for a light sanction.

This arrangement, according to the official, would also include “everything”, including assets deemed legitimately acquired.

Snippets concerning a former governor showed that it would be a total showdown with him and certainly would not be included in the plea bargain arrangement.

The former governor used to be very loud.

Another former governor is likely to be completely stripped of everything, whether he settles for full trial or plea bargain.

A plea bargain arrangement is going to be very demeaning for him, considering his consistent cries of a witch-hunt.

Ribadu as EFCC chairman had claimed that 32 former governors were indicted for alleged corruption, including Ibori, Igbinedion and a host of others.

One of the former governors, former Rivers State helmsman, Peter Odili, got a perpetual injunction stopping the commission from investigating him.

His predecessor-in-office and current Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, also latched on the restraining order to stall his own probe.

EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, refused to make any comment on either Kalu’s conviction or the fate of his colleagues.