Abuja — President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has requested the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to furnish him with more information over the circumstances that led to the arrest of Governor Ikedia Ohakim of Imo State by the Scotland Yard operatives last week.
The governor was allegedly quizzed by a team of police officers in London, on Monday, March 17, over issues relating to money laundering.
Acting on security report from EFCC, the security operatives were said to have invaded Inter-Continental Hotel, Park Lane, Central London, in search of a huge amount of money, which he allegedly took to London through some of his political aides.
LEADERSHIP gathered that vital documents which suggest that Governor Ohakim has a house worth £1.8 million in South Kensington, London, and another in Atlanta, USA, at the cost of $2.1 million were allegedly recovered in his hotel room.
Our source said, "A huge amount of cash, running into millions of dollars," was also recovered from persons linked to the governor.
The governor and one of his aides were allegedly arrested and asked to make written statements before they were released by the security officials.
LEADERSHIP gathered last night that President Yar'Adua, in line with his anti-corruption crusade, had asked for more detailed information relating to the case.
"The attention of the presidency has been drawn to the case, and he had directed the commission to do its work," a source at EFCC corporate headquarters told our correspondent last night.
"You know, the president has the principle of not interfering in our activities, although he has indicated interest to know more about the case, he however directed the commission to do its work."
Chief DSP Alameyeseigha and Mr. Joshua Dariye, former governors of Bayelsa and Plateau States respectively, had been arrested and prosecuted for similar offences.
An anti-graft source told our reporter that the money and other documents allegedly recovered in Mr. Ohakim's hotel room are still in the possession of the London security operatives, pending when the investigation into the matter is concluded.
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IT IS OBVIOUS THAT SOME ELEMENTS WOULD NOT WANT TO SEE ANYTHING GOOD IN IMO STATE. YOU CAN SEE LIES ALL OVER THE PLACE. LETS ALLOW THE SECURITY AGENCIES DO THEIR WORK. I JUST CALLED THE SCOTLAND YARD IN LONDON AND THEIRS NOTHING LIKE THAT. IF IT WAS THROUGH, HE WOULDNT HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE POLICE CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT INVOLVED. YOU CAN CONFIRM WITH THE EFCC AND SCOTLAND YARD!check their websites. pls, lets stop this damages on our governor. The truth would soon come out!
It is very disappointing and heart breaking to hear that the gogernor of Imo State Nigeria was caught buying an expensive house in Kessington London and already completed buying one in Atlanta In U.S.A. Some of us languish here abroad doing rat racing jobs and be bombarded with endless bills, cost of living and what have you, and still at the end of the year cannot afford to go to Imo state to see our parents and loved ones. Somebody who just assumed office under six months dishes out this huge amounts to purchase houses cash and we stay and pay our mortgages for thirty-something years. There is a lot of reasons people elected Governor Ohakim, one of them being security of the indegenes who leave abroad and become targets to people there who think the abrod idegenes are rich and does not know the sacrifices,and savings put into saving money to visit your loved ones. A good number of people charge their tickets and save enough to last one -two weeks of their stay in imo State. The corruption, greed,and self-centeredness of the rulers in Nigeria is very disheartening and very disappointing to human race because all they think of is themselves and their families on generation to come and does not care if fellow citizens eats, works or afford education.If this is correct after police investigations. the head of state of Nigeria Ya'Adua should force all the governing bodies to declare their personal assets before assuming office.Ya'Adua started very well by declaring his own assets and ruling bodies should do the same. It very wrong that after spending many years in overseas country studing and acquiring an expert training cannot hurry to go to their country to get a job or decide to not. Let justice be served be this act is against mankind.
Why are you so quick to defend him Sir? There should be no rumor of such sort surrounding him if he was not laundering public funds. He knows as a sitting Governor, he cant travel out of the country with large sums of money. They seem to be elements of truth to this story. But in any case, lets keep our fingers crossed. We will learn more from Scotland Yard in the next few days.
Why are you so quick to defend him Sir? There should be no rumor of such sort surrounding him if he was not laundering public funds. He knows as a sitting Governor, he cant travel out of the country with large sums of money. They seem to be elements of truth to this story. But in any case, lets keep our fingers crossed. We will learn more from Scotland Yard in the next few days.
Why are you so quick to defend him Sir? There should be no rumor of such sort surrounding him if he was not laundering public funds. He knows as a sitting Governor, he cant travel out of the country with large sums of money. They seem to be elements of truth to this story. But in any case, lets keep our fingers crossed. We will learn more from Scotland Yard in the next few days.
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