Igbinedion reports to EFCC, detained January 21, 2008 | posted by Mobolaji Aluko (Archives)

 

 

 

NEW NIGERIAN NEWS

 Igbinedion in EFCC custody

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday confirmed that it had former Edo Governor Lucky Igbinedion in its custody.
EFCC spokesman Osita Nwajah said in Abuja that Igbinedion had turned himself in at the commission’s Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, office in Lagos.
Nwajah said the former governor was under going interrogation and would be transferred to Abuja to face a 142-count charge brought against him.

The EFCC had instituted the charge against Igbinedion, who ruled Edo between 1999 and 2007.

Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako of the Federal High Court had on January 8 issued a warrant for the arrest of the former governor.
Igbinedion is charged along with three companies - Kiva Corporation Ltd., Gava Corporation Ltd. and Ekpen and Sons Company for abuse of office and money laundering.
 

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PUNCH

EFCC detains Igbinedion

By Tony Amokeodo, Emmanuel Obe and Sesan Olufowobi
Published: Tuesday, 22 Jan 2008

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday detained the former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, in connection with alleged money laundering and other financial malpractices.

Igbinedion reported at the commission’s office on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, where he was quizzed by operatives but was not allowed to go home.

A source in the EFCC told our correspondent in Lagos that the ex-governor might be arraigned at a Federal High Court on Wednesday.

Although he did not say which of the divisions of the FHC would handle the matter, it was learnt that the arraignment may be in Enugu.

The source said, “ Well, the ex-governor is here with us. Don’t forget that the commission had earlier declared him wanted.

“So, there is no big deal about his coming to the EFCC today(Monday ) to surrender himself. We had spread our tentacles to apprehend him.

“Though he has surrendered himself, he was confronted with certain allegations against him. But he was unnaturally quiet and wasted time before replying to our questions. He had to respond to the questions one by one. He also had to write his statement on the matter.

“But I can authoritatively tell you that we are taking him to court on Wednesday in order to arraign him. We would have done so tomorrow (Tuesday) but we learnt that the Federal High Court won’t be sitting. ”

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Kutigi, will be inaugurating the new Chief Judge of the FHC, Justice Abdullahi Mustapha, in Abuja on Tuesday.

Igbinedion reportedly arrived in the country on Sunday, about 12 days after the commission declared him wanted for allegedly siphoning N2.9bn from the Edo State treasury.

He was driven into the EFCC premises around 12:50pm in a black Toyota Camry marked Lagos EC 724 KRD in company with his lawyer, Mr. Richard Omhagonouruogha; one of his younger brothers and five of his aides.

The former governor, who wore a white guinea brocade with a black pair of sandals, declined to answer questions from journalists.

Before he walked into the reception of the EFCC office, clutching a bag, he had a brief chat with his lawyer and the aides.

One of the aides said, ‘the bag contains Igbinedion’s personal effects since we fear that he might be detained.’

Igbinedion, who looked disturbed, was then ushered into the Economic-Governance Department of the commission for interrogation.

Omhagonouruogha later told journalists that it was too early to make comments.

”We will wait for how EFCC will handle my client today (Monday) before we make our statement,” he said.

Reasons have, however, emerged on why the former governor did not report himself at the Abuja office of the EFCC.

One of his aides told our correspondent in Benin that the commission asked him to present himself at its Lagos office.

The aide, a former commissioner in the state, said Igbinedion, in company with his lawyers, took a flight from Abuja to Lagos in order to honour the appointment.

The EFCC had on January 9, 2008 filed a 142-count charge, including abuse of office, against him.

Three companies - Kiva Corporation Limited, Gava Corporation Limited, and Ekpen and Sons - were charged along with the former governor.

The EFCC said the N2.9bn was looted and transferred through numerous companies, including Gava owned by the former governor’s father, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion.

Another company belonging to his brother, Mr. Mike Igbinedion, was said to have also been used to transfer part of the money.

Meanwhile, the former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chris Ngige, also made an appearance at the EFCC office in Lagos on Monday.

Ngige told journalists that he was there to submit some documents he promised the commission in December 2007.

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VANGUARD

 Igbinedion reports to EFCC, detained     

Written by Innocent Anaba & Emmanuel Aziken  
Monday, 21 January 2008

CHIEF Lucky Igbinedion, the immediate past governor of Edo State, was taken into custody yesterday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after he reported at the Lagos office of the commission.

He had flown in from Abuja where he initially planned to submit himself for interrogation. He was, however, directed to go to Lagos.

He arrived the Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos office of the anti-graft agency at about 12.45 p.m. in a black Toyota Corolla car.

Accompanying him were four of his lawyers led by Chief Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN). Also with him was his younger brother, Dr. Fred Igbinedion.

The former governor signed in at the front desk of the commission at about 12.54 p.m. and was then ushered into the main office.

The lawyers who were with him, later came out, while one of them returned inside. His brother also left after a while. It was gathered that the former governor wrote a statement.

Chief Igbinedion returned to the country on Sunday after several months abroad. He has already been slammed with a 142-count charge of money laundering, stealing and fraud.

Senators  react

However, the three Senators from Edo State yesterday reacted variously to Chief Igbinedion’s arrest.

Welcoming the arrest as an opportunity for the former governor to account for the funds that accrued to the state in the eight years of his stewardship, Senator Yisa Braimoh (PDP, Edo North) called for the prosecution of subordinates he claimed aided  former governors indicted for corruption.

Senator Ehigie Uzamere (PDP, Edo South) in welcoming the arrest said the prosecution of the former governor would be an opportunity for him to clear himself of repeated allegations of corruption. He said assessment of Chief Igbinedion’s performance must be based on his limitations as a person.

The third Senator from the state, Senator Odion Ugbesia (PDP, Edo Central) declined to  comment when contacted on his mobile phone yesterday as he pleaded to be left out of the story.

“Yes, it is a relief to every Edolite that this governor is being brought to book,” Senator Braimoh said on phone yesterday.

“When you have a state whose governor could not perform for eight years and funds are being released to the state monthly and nothing is happening, so what is happening to the funds? Common sense tells you that the more you look the less you see,” he said.

Senator Braimoh, vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, nevertheless noted that deputies and senior aides of all former governors now under trial had been left unscathed.

“Can his immediate lieutenants whilst in office claim ignorance or are they accomplices and collaborators at lower scales? Can a state governor successfully defraud a state to such magnitude as being published daily by the EFCC without the connivance of his Deputy or SSG? That is the question the EFCC must answer. We need to clean the whole stable and the time is now,” he said.

In his own response to the arrest, Senator Uzamere who represents Igbinedion in the Senate said: “Well, I think he has done the right thing rather than waiting to be declared as a fugitive. Nobody is above the law, it is the law that is going to determine whether he is guilty or not.

“So, for taking a step to come, I think he has taken a bold step. Let’s see how it goes but the law must take its course,” Uzamere, chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, said.

Noting that the governor performed within his own limitations, he said: “He has done his best and his best may not be the best for other people. It is the courts that will finally tell whether he is guilty or not.”

Senator Ugbesia in his own response said: “No, no, no, leave me out of it. No comment about that. Let’s talk about other matters.”

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THIS DAY

EFCC Detains Igbinedion
By Davidson Iriekpen, 01.22.2008

Former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, who returned to the country on Sunday, was detained as a “Special Guest” yesterday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) preparatory to his arraignment in court.

True to his promise to make himself available to the commission yesterday, Igbinedion surrendered himself to EFCC around 12.30 pm and was subsequently detained.

EFCC had earlier declared him wanted for alleged money laundering and stealing of amounts totalling N2.9bn during his tenure.

Yesterday, Igbinedion arrived at the commission's office on 15 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, in a black Toyota Corolla car with registration number -Lagos EC274KRD.

He signed in at the front desk of the commission before being ushered into the main office of EFCC.

The former governor was escorted to the commission’s office by his lawyers, led by Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN), and his younger brother, Dr. Fred Igbinedion.

One of the lawyers, who spoke briefly with THISDAY, said the former governor had already made a statement to the commission.

Igbinedion was in the custody of EFCC up till press time last night and there are indications that he may be charged to court soon.

EFCC had declared Igbinedion wanted after it obtained an order for his arrest from a Federal High Court, Abuja

It could not be ascertained last night if the former governor would be arraigned in Lagos or in Kaduna where EFCC had filed a 147-count charge of money laundering and abuse of office against the ex-governor.

The charge was filed at the Federal High Court, Kaduna before Justice Muhammed Lawal Shuaibu who is at present presiding the trial of former Delta State governor, Chief James Ibori, also for alleged money laundering and stealing.

Three companies - Kiva Corporation Limited, Gava Corporation Limited, and Ekpen and Sons - were also charged along with Igbinedion.

The former governor was said to have used his relatives to siphon the said N2.9bn.

According to the commission, the sum was looted and transferred through numerous companies, including Gava Corporation Ltd.

Another company belonging to his brother, Mike Igbinedion, was said to have also been used to transfer part of the money.

Last week, the London Metropolitan Police searched Igbinedion’s London house

The house is located at the High Gate area of London, one of the high brow areas of the city.

THISDAY learnt that the search may have been conducted by the Met Police in a bid to uncover any incriminating material that may help in prosecuting Igbinedion for anti-money laundering offences in the United Kingdom.

The search was reminiscent of similar raids by the Met Police on the London residences of the impeached governor of Bayelsa State, Chief DSP Alamiyeseigha, and former Plateau State governor, Chief Joshua Dariye.

During the raid on Igbinedion’s house, Met Police detectives saw two Mercedes Benz cars and a Bentley worth £200,000 parked in the drive way of the palatial building.

They did not remove the vehicles but the detectives left with some documents, sources said.

The house was said to have been bought for £6.2m in 2000 but is now worth £6m.

It was learnt that the search might have been in response to the international manhunt ordered for Igbinedion by EFCC.

The commission believed Igbinedion had been on the run since he left office on May 29, 2007.

But in his reaction, Igbinedion alleged a deliberate plan by EFCC to taint him as a "fugitive running away from justice" by rushing to court to seek an order for his arrest.

He said he would appear before the commission yesterday, a promise he has now fulfilled.

In a two-page letter to the EFCC Chairman by his lawyers, Ahonaruogho, Ahonaruogho and Co, the ex-governor said the commission was aimed at ruining the good name built over the years by his family.

Condemning EFCC’s move, Igbinedion’s counsel said: “Our client is completely saddened that the commission has, without giving an opportunity to our client to appear to defend the charges against him, rushed to court for an order for his arrest in its attempt to put our client in the court of public opinion as a fugitive running away from justice.

”The antics of the commission in obtaining the said order of court and the subsequent declaration of our client as a wanted person, clearly runs against the grains of the administration of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the rule of law which it preaches.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that our client, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, shortly after leaving office as the governor of Edo State of Nigeria on 29th May, 2007 travelled overseas for his vacation and to attend to his personal needs. Whilst overseas, a letter of invitation was extended to him by the commission through the Edo State Government.

”When the said letter of invitation by the commission was brought to his attention, he promptly replied and requested for a fresh date to attend to the invitation.

"He later returned to Nigeria where he visited the offices of the commission on 13th and 14th June, 2007 and made written statements relating to his activities as governor of Edo State to the commission and was subsequently allowed to depart.”