Goje’s trial adjourned over judge’s illness

The trial of former Governor of Gombe State, Danjuma Goje, has been adjourned to April 10 and 11, 2018 following the ill-health of Justice Babatunde Quadri who was presiding over the case.

Goje and four others were arraigned by Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over alleged money laundering and conspiracy amounting to N6 billion when he was the governor of Gombe State between 2003 and 2011.

The case was earlier billed to hold for Tuesday and Wednesday at Jos Federal High Court.

Daily Trust reports that case resumed hearing on Tuesday around 9.05am but at about 2.00pm the judge’s began to deteriorate leading to the adjournment.

But during the sitting, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Wahab Shittu presented a witness - Chief Detective of EFCC, Mr Owobu Chris, who told the court how he conducted investigations on the issue of “forged resolution letter” of the then House of Assembly approving the then Gombe State government permission to obtain an N5 billion loan from a bank in 2006.

But when the Defendant’s Counsel, Mr Paul Erokoro began the cross-examination of the witness, the judge began to cough, saying “I was recently discharged from the hospital, I was not feeling fine, I even informed my registrar that I wouldn’t come, but later decided to come, because if I didn’t come you would feel bad.”