Court Remands Gombe Gov’t Worker For Tearing EFCC Invites 

Justice TG Ringim of the Federal High Court sitting in Gombe, Gombe State, has remanded one Usman Mallam in Gombe Custodial facility following his arrangement by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on June 11, 2024 , for allegedly tearing EFCC’s official Investigation Activities’ letters and obstructing the commission’s investigation.

Mallam, a desk officer in charge of responding to official correspondences in the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Gombe State, was arraigned on a one-count charge of willful obstruction of investigation activities and tearing official documents of the EFCC.

The charge against Mallam reads: “that you, Usman Mallam on or about 26th day of February 2024 at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while the officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC were carrying out an investigation activity involving an alleged economic and financial crime, did willfully obstruct the said investigation by tearing the EFCC formal letters of investigation activities dated January 1, 2024 and February 21, 2024 respectively and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 38 (1) and punishable under Section 38 (2) (a) and (b) of the Economic and financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act.”

Upon arraignment, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge, prompting the prosecution counsel, AM Labaran, to ask for a date for trial.

However, counsel to the defendant, SS Usman, said they had a bail application dated July 11, 2024, asking the court to exercise its discretion and grant the defendant bail.

Justice Ringim, thereafter, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N10,000 and one surety in like sum .

The surety, according to the judge, should be a director in a government establishment or a private company with a capital worth of not less than N10,000,000.

Justice Ringim remanded the defendant in Gombe Correctional Centre, pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions and thereafter adjourned the case to July 9, 2024, for trial.