Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday arrested former governors Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State, Gbenga Daniel, Ogun State, and Aliyu Akwe-Doma Nasarawa State over alleged misappropriation of public funds totaling N101 billion, while in office.
We gathered that the former governors have been moved to Abuja, where they will face gruelling interrogation by EFCC operatives.

Daniel, who was picked in Lagos at about 12.05 p.m, is expected to explain how he expended a sum of N58 billion being funds allegedly meant for various projects in Ogun State while Alao-Akala would give account of how he expended N25 billion in Oyo State. In the same vein, Aliyu Doma who was arrested in Lafia, the state capital, is being held for allegedly misappropriating the sum of N18 billion during his four-year tenure.

Details of how the alleged fraud was committed could not be ascertained as at press time, but dependable sources hinted that the trio would spend the weekend in EFCC custody. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), it was also learnt, had issued prosecutorial fiat to the anti- graft agency for trial of the ex-governors. The former governors might be arraigned next week as the charges against them are said to be ready.
EFCC spokesman, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the development when contacted, but declined to give details.

We gathered that while officials of the anti-graft agency easily arrested Alao-Akala and Doma in Ibadan and Lafia respectively, there was a mild drama in Daniel's encounter with the EFCC. Officials of the agency had stormed the Sagamu home of Daniel, where they were told that he had left for Lagos. Apparently acting on a tip-off that EFCC operatives were on his trail, Daniel, who was at the pan-Yoruba meeting at the Ikenne country home of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, hurriedly left the venue of the meeting. When the news of the presence of EFCC's agents in Daniel's home filtered into the venue of the meeting, it took the dexterity of the organizers of the Yoruba meeting to continue.

In a bid to avoid being apprehended physically, drove to the Lagos office of the EFCC on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi and turned himself in. Hours after their arrest, Daniel and Alao-Akala were taken to Abuja through the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos. Daniel's media aide, Mr. Adegbenro Adebanjo. confirmed his boss' arrest, which he said was prompted by avalanche of petitions the agency received against him.
His words: “Today, agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), visited the Sagamu home of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former governor of Ogun State. When they got there, Otunba Daniel was at the pan-Yoruba summit in Ikenne.

“On learning of their presence in Sagamu, Otunba Daniel left Ikenne to join them after which he was taken away by the anti-graft agency ostensibly to continue investigation into the petitions it had received against the former governor,” Adebanjo said. He, however, stated that it “is important to state that prior to their visit Otunba Daniel had not been invited to answer any question. Also nothing incriminating has been found or brought to his notice by officials of the EFCC prior to their visit to his house (yesterday).“Indeed, when the speculation became rife that he may be invited for questioning, a scheduled trip abroad by the former governor was put on hold in order for him to be available to answer the summons of the EFCC.

“Otunba Daniel, as a law-abiding citizen, expects the agency to follow the due process in the current situation.“He remains confident that he would be vindicated as the petitions written against him and which may have formed the basis of his invitation by the EFCC are politically motivated. We believe that at the end of the day the truth will prevail,” he added. However, media aide to ex-Oyo governor, Prince Dotun Oyelade, in a statement denied the arrest of his boss by the EFCC saying; “To the best of my knowledge, Alao Akala was billed to attend the pan-Yoruba conference at Ikenne this morning to which he and other Yoruba leaders have been invited. As I am communicating with you now, the former governor is on his way to Abuja on the invitation of EFCC. He was never arrested as he left to honour the invitation on his own as a law-abiding citizen.”

But reacting to the arrest of his predecessor, Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, through his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, said that in as much as the government does not want to gloat over the development, its only interest is that the law should take its course.“Though the arrest is a vindication of our earlier allegation of the predatory clean-up of the state's patrimony for four years by the Alao-Akala government, the present government does not want to gloat over the fate of the former governor. We only enjoin both the EFCC and the judiciary to allow justice to be done.”

In a related development, EFCC operatives are also said to be on the trail of the former governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje and his Imo State counterpart, Ikedi Ohakim.