Assets Declaration Fraud: Liyel Imoke, 5 Other Ex-Governors To Face Trial

*One Former Governor Flees Abroad 
The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Justice Danladi Umar, has signed the warrant for the arraignment of six former governors for falsifying their assets declaration forms.


The six former governors, according to investigations by The Nation, include ex-Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, and his Cross River State counterpart, Liyel Imoke.

The identities of the four others could not be ascertained at press time.

Also to face trial is a retired permanent secretary for abuse of office while a former governor from the North East is beleived to have gone on exile barely a week after the conclusion of paperworks for his trial.

Investigation revealed that the trial of the ex-public office holders will start any moment from now.

A source who spoke in confidence said: “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.

“All these ex-governors will be formally notified of their pending trial next week. Some of them have got wind of it and were already scouting for the charges.

“In fact, security reports indicated that the ex-governor from the North-East got wind of his likely arraignment before the CCT and chose to go on self-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.”

At press time, there were findings that more than 15 former governors under-declared their assets in gross violation of their oaths of office.

“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.

Disturbed by the legal issue surrounding the Code of Conduct Tribunal, President Muhammadu Buhari has initiated moves to put in place a full panel. This is ensure speedy prosecution and justice.