By Ahmad Umar
Gombe (Nigeria)- Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it has invited Ahmed Yayari, Chief of Staff to Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo for questioning over alleged complicity in the handling of the 2015 PDP campaign funds.
Head of Operations of the EFCC, Gombe zonal office, northeast of the of country, Johnson Babalola disclosed this to journalists on Friday.
Babalola confirmed that Yayari was invited as part of investigations into alleged fraud connected with the 2015 campaign funds.
“Yes, we invited Yayari among others to our office. We are still investigating the matter,” he said.
He explained that the agency would prosecute anyone found wanting once investigations are concluded.
Meanwhile, the agency has arraigned Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Danlami Arabs Rukuje with two others before a State High Court, over alleged diversion of materials meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The two, Rukuje Isa Garba, store keeper of the agency and one Mu’azu Sulaiman KT, were arraigned before the court over a three-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and theft.
According to the charges, the trio had between May and August 2017 conspired among them and diverted building materials which included 5000 bags of Portland cement and 2,081 drums of 20 litres of paints, which were donated by the Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative (PCNI), for onward distribution to the IDPs.
The EFCC counsel, Abdulhamid Mustapha Labaran, said the offenses committee under the jurisdiction of the court, were contrary to Sections 96 and 286, punishable under Sections 97 (1) and 287 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria.
All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them by the EFCC.
In view of their plea, Barrister Labaran applied for a new date for trial and the accused to be remanded in prison custody.
However, counsel to Arabs Rukuje, Barrister Sati Benjamin and counsel to the two other accused persons applied for their bail
The presiding judge, Justice Abubakar Jauro, adjourned the case to April 9 for ruling on the bail application and continuation of trial.
He ordered the accused persons to continue on the administrative bail granted by the EFCC.
