Now, it is clear that there were Several Participants or Players in regard to
this Count cutting across Three States of the Federation. There was the
Defendant himself, his Chief Detail, his Orderly, Dennis Bobo, the Steward,
Jerusha, the House Keeper, the Accountant and Permanent Secretary at the
Taraba State Liaison Office, Abuja, the Accountant in Jalingo, the Officials at
the Ministry of Finance, Taraba State, the Secretary to the State Government
and of course, the Rice Supplier from Lagos.
Of all the above Participants, there could only be Six Eye Witnesses to the
receipt by the Governor of the Money.
Now, the Chief Detail was not produced before the Court to testify because
he had since left his Post, and was untraceable, the Steward, Mr. Bobo was
reported dead, Jerusha was not produced and reported dead, the Accountant
and other Officials from Jalingo were not produced, and the Lagos Rice
Seller’s details were not supplied by the Defendant, thereby leaving only
Four Key Witnesses before the Court, who are the Defendant, Mr. Japheth
Wubon, Mr. Philips Akolo and Mr. Abdulrahman Mohammed.
Mr. Philips Akolo denied any knowledge of this transaction and Mr. Japheth
Wubon was informed of actions taken by Mr. Abdulrahman Mohammed.
Therefore, the evidence of the Defendant is pitted squarely against that of
Mr. Abdulrahman Mohammed.
The Defendant on his own part, contended that he had sat down with the
Permanent Secretary (which one he did not say, whether it was Permanent
Secretary Abuja Liaison Office, or the Permanent Secretary Jalingo) to
discuss the need to Purchase Grains. This discussion arose because while in
Abuja, he received different Requests from People in Abuja, in regard to their
Supporters in Taraba State, who were Peasants experiencing hardship
caused by drought and who did not have enough Produce to feed
themselves.
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