The chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, has reportedly signed a warrant for the arraignment of six former governors for falsifying their assets declaration forms.
Former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam and former governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke are two of the six governors, while the identities of the four others are yet to be ascertained, The Nation reports.
According to reports, the trial of the former governors will start soon as they will be formally notified of their pending trial next week.
The source added that some of the former governors have got wind of the trial and have begun scouting for the charges.
“The next batch for trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal includes six ex-governors and a retired permanent secretary. The former governors are from the North-Central, North-West, South-South and North-East.
“Most of these governors preferred to hide their assets but, unknown to them, their aides or aggrieved members of their cabinets or parties and short-changed business partners used to expose them,” a source in the Code of Conduct Bureau said.
The source added that one of the governors who is from the north-east got information of his likely arraignment before the CCT and chose to go into exile.
“When all is set for his trial and he fails to show up, a bench warrant will be issued for his arrest and the International Police (INTERPOL) will be mandated to fish him out,” the source said.
Investigations showed that more than 15 former governors under-declared their assets in gross violation of their oaths of office.
On Monday October 2, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed a nine-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N3.1 billion at the Federal High Court, Abuja, against Suswam.
He was arrested on Monday, October 12, following allegations of corrupt practices said to have occurred during his tenure as governor, but he was released in the evening.
