UNBRIDLED Corruption In Nigeria, A Nation Ruled By GANGS Of KLEPTOMANIACS. *SIGH*.

EFCC traces 20m Pound Sterling house to Bafarawa
By Olusola Sanni

•Also two others worth N358m
•ICPC indicts Oyo over foreign debt
More facts have emerged on the allegations of corrupt practices levelled against the former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).


It was gathered on Saturday that the EFCC has traced some houses allegedly bought by the former governor with the N15 billion he was accused of stealing while in office.

The latest information on the probe of Bafarawa came just as it was gathered that the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has indicted the Oyo State
Government for not fulfilling its obligation to a law firm that helped it recover a foreign debt.

The Nigerian Compass learnt on Saturday that one of the houses traced to Bafarawa by the EFCC is a 20 million pound (about N5 billion) mansion in London, the United Kingdom.

It is said to be located on Radnor Palace Road, London.

It was gathered that apart from using the proceeds of the alleged stolen money to purchase the house, Bafarawa, whom sources said would be arraigned on Monday or Tuesday in Abuja, is also to explain why he failed to state ownership of the house in his assets declaration form.

It was learnt that Bafarawa’s assets declaration form with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) does not include the ownership of the 20 million pound house.

Two other houses, suspected to have been bought with the alleged stolen money, have also been uncovered by the EFCC.

One of them, allegedly bought by the former governor, who is a strong voice in the proposed Mega Party, is located in the Maitama area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

It was allegedly bought for N300 million.

Another house, said to be worth N58 million, has been traced to the former governor’s hometown, Bafarawa in Sokoto State.

A source told the Nigerian Compass, “Certainly, he would be arraigned on Monday or Tuesday because we now have enough evidence to start the prosecution.”

The Nigerian Compass had exclusively reported on yesterday that one of the allegations against Bafarawa was that he stole N52 million from a Quranic school fund.

In another development, there were indications that the ICPC, which looked into the controversy surrounding the contract between the Oyo State Government and a private law firm over the recovery of a foreign debt for the state government, has passed a verdict against the state government.

The crisis between the two parties stemmed from the claim by the law firm, Ned Nwakolo and Associates, that it facilitated the retrieval of a foreign debt overpayment of N12 billion for the state government and was due to be paid a percentage of the amount as commission.

In seeking adjudication over the matter, there is an ongoing international arbitration, which, until recently, was presided over by Olajumoke, the daughter of the Second Republic Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Richard Akinjide.

But the state government has on several occasions denied any formal contract with the law firm and had indeed registered complaints to the ICPC over the development.

But a source in the ICPC told the Nigerian Compass during the week that the commission had concluded its investigation into the matter.

The source pointed out that in getting to the root of the matter, investigators from the ICPC reached out to both parties and other interested parties in the matter, including the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Debt Management Office (DMO).

It was also leant that after a thorough review of the situation and submissions made by government officials, it was established that there was a pact between the two parties and that the Oyo State Government must honour its contractual obligation to the law firm.

The source said, “The commission has concluded its investigation into the matter and it was clearly established that the Oyo State Government during the tenure of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja entered into a contract agreement with the law firm.

“Investigators did a thorough job on the matter after meeting with all the interests involved.

“Officials in the DMO and the Federal Ministry of Finance were interviewed and their submissions point to the fact that there was a contract between the two parties.”

The source said that the commission would soon make its findings on the matter public.

When our correspondent contacted the Resident Media Consultant to the ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti, over the development, he said that he was yet to be briefed on the outcome of the investigation.

It was also learnt that Olajumoke, who was presiding over the international arbitration, had some weeks back withdrawn from the case.

Although she had claimed “personal reasons” for her decision, it was learnt that Olajumoke’s decision was due to political reasons.

There have been insinuations that Olajumoke is considering contesting for a senatorial position in Oyo State and that has informed her decision not to sit on a matter that involves the state government.