THE presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has released a list of persons close to President Muhammadu Buhari whom he alleged of corruption.
In the list released Sunday evening by one of his spokespersons, Phrank Shuaibu, Mr Abubakar also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the governing APC, which, according to him, ”has metamorphosed from a political party to a nest of corrupt politicians”.
The former vice president listed 28 persons that he said have various corruption allegations around them ”but are now close to the President and the APC”.
See the list and their corruption charges…
1. Adams Oshiomhole (APC Chairman)
Chairman of the ruling party and former governor of Edo State, Oshiomhole was petitioned over allegations of large scale corruption, during his days as governor of Edo State by a human rights crusader, Bishop Osadolor Ochei. Oshiomhole has also been widely accused of large scale corruption through numerous financial inducements during the last APC primaries, which resulted in so many of them ending in controversial circumstances, leading to the party being excluded from participating in the 2019 election in some states, (Rivers and Zamfara), even before the election proper.
2. Abdullahi Adamu (N15b fraud)
Adamu, a serving senator and former Governor of Nasarawa State, is one of the President’s allies in the Senate. He is also a member of the National Advisory Committee of the Buhari 2019 Presidential Support Committee.
The lawmaker is being prosecuted alongside 18 others for allegedly stealing N15bn from the treasury through contracts awarded when he was governor for eight years.
His son, Nurianu, was also arraigned by the EFCC in January 2018 for alleged N90m fraud. However, the former governor has been one of the fiercest critics of Senate President Bukola Saraki.
3. Folorunsho Folarin Coker (DG, NTDC); (N3b fraud charge)
Lagos socialite and Director General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and his wife, Mrs. Aisha Rimi are at the centre of a major scandal involving the diversion of the sum of N3 Billion from an account of Lagos state government.
The fund, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC told the court on Monday was diverted from the account of Lagos State Government Number Plate Production Authority when Coker was the managing director.
In an affidavit he deposed to in support of an ex parte application to freeze the account used for the alleged fraud, EFCC investigator, Mr Olamide Sadiqe said the investigation of the fraud was based on intelligence received sometime in 2017 by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit of suspicious transactions on the account of Rimi and Partners.
4. Documentary evidence reveal that Mr. Mohammed was alleged to have begged his subordinates at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for a ‘loan’ of ₦13 million to enable him travel to China, an act which is against civil service rules and against the rules of public decency.
5. Bola Tinubu’s Alpha Beta on N100b corruption case
Alpa Beta, a consultancy owned by Bola Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State and National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is at the centre of a N100billion fraud, tax evasion and money laundering petition written by Mr. Dapo Apara, its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer.
According to Apara’s petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Alpha Beta “has become an avenue for official corruption of government officials, a conduit pipe for massive money laundering scheme, tax evasion, among other vices”.
In the petition, sent on his behalf by Adetunji Adegboyega ESG, his solicitors, Apara said: “Over the years the company is being protected and shielded by some powerful politicians and people in the society which made them to always boast of being untouchable, but our client, feeling the need not to keep quiet again and strengthened by his belief in the fact that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is keen on fighting corruption, which has been the bane of our country, is of the firm belief that it’s time to expose and open the can of worms called ALPHABETA CONSULTING.
This is despite the fact that the company takes about N40b every month from the Lagos State Govt. as tax consultants.
6. Abba Kyari’s N500m bride allegation from MTN / N29.9m contract scam
Alhaji Abba Kyari was involved in a corruption scandal in connection with alleged N500million bribery money said to have been paid to the Chief of Staff by officials of South African owned MTN Telecommunications Company with the intent that the COS influence government to discontinue its heavy stance on the $5billion fine imposed on the company.
Another major scandal against the CoS is the case of a N29.9m contract scam
The petitioner, Bako Waziri Kyari, who claimed to be a nephew to the chief of staff had said during a popular radio programme, Berekete Family, on Human Rights Radio 101.1FM in Abuja, that Kyari and Sani Ado, whom he claimed worked with the Bureau of Public Procurement, allegedly collected N29.9m from him in order to facilitate the award of a contract.
Bako, who is from Bama in Borno State, told Berekete Family that when he lost his father, Kyari came to commiserate with the family and then promised him the contract.
He said on getting to Abuja, he met with Kyari at Caledonia Hotel, Maitama, four times.
Bako alleged that Kyari asked him to pay Ado some money to facilitate the award of the contract.
He said he approached a friend who lent him some money, adding that he also sold his properties in order to raise N29.9m which he used in facilitating the contract.
Speaking through an interpreter, he said, “Abba Kyari asked if I had a company registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. I told him I did and so he asked me to come down to Abuja. We met at least four times at Caledonia Hotel on Gana Street, Maitama. We discussed there. The hotel should have CCTV and this can be confirmed.
“Abba Kyari collected the documents of my company. He said I would supply 15 Toyota Hilux vehicles to the Presidential Villa. He gave me an agreement to sign and I signed two documents. He collected two letterheads from me, 12 passport photos and introduced me to Sani Ado and Alhaji Ibrahim.
“He said anytime they needed money, he would let me know so that I could give the money to Sani Ado. Ado began collecting money from me to process the contract. Before depositing money into Ado’s account, I always alerted Abba Kyari and he would tell me to go ahead.
“All the money I transferred to Ado summed up to N29, 950,000. The total contract was worth N300,725,000. They promised me 30 per cent profit of the total contract which is about N94m.”
7. Babachir Lawal (sacked SGF)
The sacked SGF was entangled in the infamous grass-cutting scandal in which Mr. Lawal, as the SGF, used his company Rholavision Engineering Ltd, while still being its director, to receive consultancy contract to clear invasive plant in Yobe State from PINE, an intervention agency under his office.
But apart from the grass-cutting contract, the final report of the committee, details showed how Mr. Lawal received at least N450 million in kickbacks from companies that got contracts from PINE
Apart from the companies from which Mr. Lawal got kickbacks, there are other dozens of companies that received PINE contracts in manners that suggested a disregard for law and due process.
Between November 2015 and July 2016, the agency received over eight billion naira (N8,352,865,587), out of which N6.8 billion was expended on projects and N231.5 million on recurrent expenditures.
PINE, according to the report of the Senate committee, “awarded 39 contracts to various companies to carry out the removal of invasive plant species plants, rehabilitation/renovation works, food supplies, consultancy services and provision of shelter (supply of tarpaulin cabins) etc.”
But the committee found that all the contracts were “awarded under the principle of emergency procurement stipulated in section 43 (i) and (ii) but absolute disregard for sub-section (iii) of the same section 43 of the Public Procurement Act.”
8. Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai: Allegedly bought 2 Dubai mansions for $1.5m
The national outcry that greeted this revelation was utterly ignored by the President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration, he still seats comfortably as the Chief of Army Staff, despite the scandal and other failings in the war against insecurity
9. Senator Hadi Sirika (N1.2b Nigeria Air fraud scandal)
The minister of state transport (Aviation), is accused of syphoning over N1.2b on a phoney Nigeria Air project, which was eventually suspended by the federal government.
10. Hajia Aisha Buhari’s N2.5b scandal
The First Lady had reported her ADC, Sani Baban-Inna, to the security agencies over the allegation of swindling members of the public of the sum of N2.5b.
11. Adedayo Thomas, ED National Film and Video Censors Board
Charged for stealing the organization’s 500 KVA generator and defrauding the agency hundreds of millions, was charged to court and N50m cash was said to have been retrieved from him. He still seats comfortably as head of the agency
12. Adamu Muazu (N19.8b)
Adamu Mu’azu, a former governor of Bauchi State, is one the politicians with a pending case of corruption with the EFCC, that has taken refuge with the APC. His case borders on alleged mismanagement of N19.8 billion when he was governor between 1999 and 2007.
13. Sen. Iyiola Omisore (N1.3b fraud charge)
Iyiola Omisore is another refuge seeking politician in APC, in the bid to escape EFCC prosecution. The former Deputy Governor has a corruption charge against him by the EFCC for the sum N1.3b which he allegedly received from Dasuki, the former NSA
14. Abdulrasheed Maina
Despite having one of the most celebrated cases of large scale corruption in recent times, the PMB administration made fruitless efforts at reinstating the former pension chief, who was then a fugitive. The huge outcry that greeted the attempt foiled the inglorious move
Mr. Maina diverted billions of naira of public funds through various accounts, allegedly belonging to him, by faking contractual agreements with his companies for biometric enrolment of staff within the pension board. His case at the EFCC remains unattended to since he had to jet out of the country after that the failed attempt to reinstate him into govt. service
15. Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro (N4.7b)
Former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, is another politician that is currently taking refuge in the APC to avert prosecution by the anti-graft agencies.
He is charged for the N4.7 billion traced to firms linked to him, and had charges instituted against him by the EFCC
16, Orji Uzor Kalu (N3.2b fraud charge)
Orji Kalu, a former governor of Abia state, is facing trial for allegedly defrauding the state of the sum of N3.2b. He is currently in the APC, where it is hoped that his sins would have been forgiven
17. Issa Yuguda
In 2017, the Bauch State govt. accused Yuguda of looting the state dry, and immediately instituted a petition to the anti-graft agency (EFCC), demanding that the ex-governor be made to answer for the over N200b that was fraudulently expended under his watch as governor of the state. His case with the EFCC had led to the anti-graft agency, seizing his magnificent mansion located in the heart of Bauchi town.
Yuguda has since run under the cover of the APC, with a view to having his sins forgiven.
18, Godswill Akpabio (N108b fraud charge)
The EFCC is investigating allegations that the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, embezzled N108bn during his tenure between 2007 and 2015. This led the anti-graft agency to have written to five banks demanding information on Akwa Ibom State finances under Akpabio’s administration, before commencing prosecution.
He is currently taking refuge under the APC, with a view to his sins being forgiven
19. Yemi Osinbajo’s N5.8b NEMA fraud allegation
The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osibanjo, a pastor of the Redeem Church and Prof. of Law, was allegedly indicted by a house committee, over the flagrant violation of procurement laws in the disbursement of the sum of N5.8m food intervention program under his watch
20. Governor Ganduje’s bribe video scandal
In the last quarter of 2018, Nigerians were stunned by the shocking video of the serving governor of Kano State Alhaji Ganduje collecting large chunks of American dollars from an undisclosed associate and rolling them into his babaringa.
This scandalous incident trended for a very long time on social media. The PMB administration never condemned this action, they rather looked the other way, despite their acclaimed anti-corruption posture
21. Seminu Turaki N5.2b
Turaki, a two-term governor of Jigawa State, is facing multiple charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, stealing, money laundering and misappropriation of public funds, to the tune of N5.2b
After he was arraigned in 2007, he went into hiding and was subsequently declared wanted by the EFCC, for failing to present himself for trial. A warrant directing the Inspector General of Police or his officers, as well as the EFCC, to arrest him, was also issued by the court.
Today, he is comfortably taking refuge in APC
22, Junaid Abdullahi (Border Agency multimillionaire contract scam)
Abdullahi, inlaw to President Mohammadu Buhari, and the Executive Secretary at the Agency was recently exposed to have used his privileged position to subvert extant procurement laws and awards contracts worth hundreds of millions to companies without relevant prequalification requirements.
About 33 companies were prequalified for eight zonal intervention projects worth over N1.3 billion under review.
23. Aliyu Wamako (N15bn)
Senator Aliyu Wamakko is in charge of Buhari’s campaign in Sokoto State. A few weeks ago, he held a massive rally on behalf of Buhari in order to prove to the President that Governor Aminu Tambuwal’s defection would be of no effect.
Wamakko, who served as governor from 2007 to 2015, is under investigation over allegations of theft of public funds and money laundering totalling N15bn
24. Hope Uzodimma ($12b)
The gubernatorial candidate of the APC in Imo State and a close associate of President Mohammadu Buhari is currently embroiled in a $12m contract scam, leading to his arrest by the Obon Obla’s SPIPRPP ( Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Properties). The senator is alleged to have diverted the sum of $12m for the dredging of the Calabar channel, a contract awarded to his company by the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA).
Uzodimma is currently flying the APCs flag in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Imo State while leading president Buhari’s campaign in the state
25. Rotimi Amaechi (N97b)
Amaechi, who was the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation in 2015, has been charged with the task of ensuring that Buhari is elected a second time.
The Minister of Transport, who recently demeaned the character of his principal in a leaked tape of his private conversation with friends, was indicted by the Justice George Omeregi-led Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up to investigate the sale of state assets.
He and others were accused of allegedly misappropriating N97bn through the sale of the state valued assets.
26. Abdul’ aziz Yari (N680m)
The embattled Zamfara state governor is currently alleged to have diverted almost N700m from the Paris Club refunds to his state
In July last year, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered an interim forfeiture of the sums of N500m and $500,000 (N180m) said to have been looted from the Paris Club refunds made by the Federal Government in favour of the 36 states of the federation.
27. Maikanti Baru (N378b NLNG scandal & $25b NNPC scam)
The state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was discovered in October to have illegally diverted N378 billion sourced from the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) dividend funds to secretly fund subsidy payment on petroleum products.
The fund in question was secretly diverted into payments on petrol supply and distribution when it should have been shared between the federal, state and local governments.
In a similar development, the Minister of State Petroleum had in a leaked letter to President Mohammadu Buhari, alleged that the Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru, had without due process, awarded contracts to the tune of $25m. The outcry by Nigerians for the probe of the allegation did not yield dividend as an allegation of such magnitude was swept under the carpet by a govt. that pretends to be fighting corruption
28. Ayodele Oke (N13b Ikoyi Flat cash scandal)
The suspended DG of NIA, Ayodele Oke, was at the centre of the controversial Ikoyi flat cash scandal, where huge sums of cash in foreign currency were discovered in one the flats, where his wife runs a private firm.
Folashade, the wife of the former NIA boss, was said to have rented the flat for the sum of $1.6m, which she paid cash, and lodged the remaining part of the loot in the safety of the flat before she was exposed
There has been no news of the outcome of the prosecution of either Folashade or the Ayodele Oke under an administration that is fighting corruption.
