By: Valentine Adese (JP),
Surprises in the matter between the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and the former governor of Plateau State, Sen. Jonah Jang and a Cashier, Mr. Yusuf Pam, who worked in the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) seems not to have an end as, Mr. Pam (The Cashier) has told the Plateau State High Court again that, his statement at the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) office in Abuja was obtained from him under duress.
My Yusuf Pam, who is the 2nd Defendant in the matter concerning the alleged looting and mismanagement of Plateau State funds, a charge brought against him and the former governor of Plateau State, Sen. Jang by the EFCC, in Examination-in-Chief by his Counsel S. A. Oguntuyi (Esq) told the Court that, he made the statement after he received slaps from one Mr. Sunday, the IPO handling the matter at the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja.
Yusuf also added that, he was forced to corporate to write the statement in the way of the EFCC, as the process used to obtain the statement was a question and answer session.
Yusuf disclosed to the Court that, he was deprived of his drugs, despite making the IPOs know that he is a hypertensive and diabetic patient. Rather, he was taken to an underground cell in the Headquarters to put him under compulsion to corporate with the IPOs of the EFCC, who questioned him in their open office at the headquarters having over 13 desks.
He lamented that, even when he told and pleaded with the IPO, Mr. Sunday, to allow him make a call to his children over the death and burial of his wife, he refused and this kept him under pressure to cooperate with the IPOs.
Lamenting the situation before the Court, Mr. disclosed that, he is still suffering the trauma to date.
Under Cross-Examination by EFCC’s lead Counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Mr. Pam told the Court that, he wrote the 7 statements obtained from him within 6 hours because of the EFCC and that, the Six (6) hours being talked about, runs for over 16months of him coming and going from the EFCC’s headquarters and getting involved in two fatal accidents on his way.
Pam said, several of his comments during the last trial in the Plateau State Court then presided over by, Hon. Justice Longji (Rtd), are not in the statement he was confronted with by the EFCC’s Counsel.
You would recall that, a trial within trial arouse as the EFCC attempted to tender the statements obtained from Mr. Yusuf Pam at the EFCC’s headquarters Abuja.
In another development, the hearing of the substantive case came up today, with EFCC’s witness Mr. Sunday testifying, but was stalled, owing to a pending ruling before the Court.
The Court has therefore adjourned the matter to tomorrow, 28th April, 2022.
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