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Nigeria: Presidency Aborts Imoke's Arrest
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Leadership (Abuja)
25 July 2008
Posted to the web 25 July 2008
Emmanuel Bello
Former Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River escaped arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Tuesday by the whiskers, courtesy of the timely intervention of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
LEADERSHIP learnt that EFCC operatives had invaded Imoke's No. 27, Suleiman Barau Street, bent on arresting the embattled former governor, who has been implicated in the ongoing power probe.
Eyewitness at the house located on Aso Drive in Abuja, who confided in LEADERSHIP, said that the "whole house was surrounded by men of the commission who wanted to gain entrance to the residence where Imoke was holed up."
Garba Ladan, a gardener, saw it all. He told our reporters, "At about Afternoon, the whole of this area was filled with security men. They were around Imoke's house. I think he has done something bad because they wanted to break into the house."
But unknown to them the ousted governor was inside his bedroom making frantic calls to Obasanjo.
According to sources close to Imoke, "As soon as he learnt that the EFCC men were at his gate, he panicked and began to make calls.
He called Obasanjo. Obasanjo in turn called Yar'Adua, and a deal was sealed. Obasanjo commanded Yar'Adua to call off the invasion. The President promptly complied."
Yar'Adua, who was an under intense pressure to please his benefactor was said to have called the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa.
It was a peeved Aondoakaa who querulously called Mrs Farida Waziri, the EFCC boss, to call off the operation. Her wish was carried out within minutes. The operators, almost apologising to Imoke, left the house and headed back to office.
A delighted Imoke was said to have thrown a party in his house where minions came to rejoice over the "triumph" of their boss over the EFCC. The next day, Imoke left for Calabar to a heroic welcome.
Earlier on Tuesday, Imoke had met with President Yar'Adua at the Presidential Villa to fine-tune strategies to escape justice.
He came out of the meeting to tell press men that he had no fear of arrest.
Imoke is in the centre of an indictment by the House of Representatives committee probing of the power sector. A preliminary report is said to have said that Imoke was deeply mired in the financial ill-dealings that defines the sad situation of energy in Nigeria.
Imoke, a close confidant of Obasanjo, continues to enjoy protection by the former President because of "what he knows about the rough deals by Obasanjo", said a source who craved anonymity.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, is said to be on in the whole deal to protect Imoke, especially with the latest scenario in which the power probe committee is being scrutinised.
There is a strong accusation hanging on the committee that it collected N100 million bribe.
Observers believe that this is a ploy to discredit the probe panel report and render it ineffective.
Yesterday, some House of Representatives members denounced the current ordeal of Imoke, saying that the former governor is being persecuted.
Bankole's role in the whole saga is said to be informed by his wish to become the Governor of Ogun State in 2011.
In a related development, the Cross River State National Assembly caucus yesterday alleged attempts in some quarters to use the Power Probe report of the House of Representatives to effect the arrest and prosecution of Senator Liyel Imoke, using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Also, the caucus has urged the Federal Government to re-schedule the official handing over of Bakassi to Cameroon, slated for August 14, 2008, arguing that the ceremony would be better conducted with a substantive governor in place, considering the serious security implications.
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In a press conference addressed by chairman of the caucus, Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw who was flanked by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), John Owan-Enoh, Bassey Eko Ewa, Bassey Edet, Gabriel Edi, Chris Sunny Etta, Alex Ikor Ukam, Essien Ekpenyong and Paul Adeshi Adah, the group stated that the plot to arrest the former governor based on the House Report was orchestrated by some amorphous group, paid by yet to be identified persons with a secret agenda.
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WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN THE COUNTRY. WE ARE NOT A DEMOCRATIC NATION. WE ARE STILL CORRUPT AS EVER IF OBJ CAN JUST MAKE A CALL AND FREE A MAN WHO IS ACCUSED OF A CRIME. WHAT A SHAME.THIS CONFIRMS MY BELIEF THAT YARADUA WAS REALLY PUT IN THERE AS PRESIDENT. SO NOW WHAT?
it is very disheartening that nigerian/nigerians, are going through all these. i said it b/4, i will say it again. if the ex/incumbent presidents can pull these strings, on behalf of a criminal/crooked politician, all of them are the same ten and ten pence. put it a simple term, PEN ROBBERS. how can they do that? they should allow the imoke man, to go answer his querries. our money is missing, our money is missing, period. we need to recover it. what this means, is that, yar,adua, obasanjo, imoke and waziri through andookan, have shared the money with imoke... [Read Full Text]
Is this what the Yar'Adua's acclaimed change is all about continuing with the same old path we tasted and rejected. Who is actually in charge Yar'Adua or Obassnjo? Why did the President halt the arrest of Imoke who came out flaunting to Nigerians that I did it so what? This is the same way Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello stole and stashed out money budgeted for healthcare and because her name is Obasanjo the matter is tied up in court and would probably dies in the court.
It is unfortunate that those that have been appointed by the good Lord to lead and... [Read Full Text]
This looks like a fabricated story by the real corrupt Nigerian politicians who will like to defame those that have served the country credibly using all forms of Nigerian propaganda media. There has not been anything that links Imoke to any corrupt practices by any probe but because he showed clearly what transpired with the power projects and could not be influenced by the corrupt politicians that are bent on finding FAULTS where they do not exist, the next step is to mount propaganda campaign against him. Hopefully, many Nigerians would be able to put 2 and 2... [Read Full Text]
We cannot pick and chose the politician to pick on Nigerian only go where the evidence leads them to. The last time we checked Lyle did not provide Nigeria with power for the amount his commission was provided to do so or tell us what happened to the money unless someone knows something. 95% of the Nigerian politician is crocks and under Obasanjo our money walked.
For anyone to defend Lyle for failing the nation suggests culpability or his surrogate. If you cannot admonish your own for wrong doing then you lack the credibility to talk about other politicians. Tell... [Read Full Text]
This story is a confirmation of the fears of all well meaning Nigerians and their friends from all over the world regarding Yar' Adua,s emergence as Nigeria's president via the widely condemned imposition in the name of presidential election in 2007. Obasanjo did it all. And he has a mission.
From the N2.8 billion NNPC scandal in the 1970 through the illegal sneaking of the infamous Land Use Act into our law books to the billions of naira that went to the 3rd-term bid that nobody is talking about yet and the $16 billion power scandal, Obasanjo desperately need protection... [Read Full Text]
Corrupt politicians continue to dorminate Nigerian political secene.Corrupt Ex-Prez, asking current Prez to intervene on behalf of Corrupt Ex-Governor.This is BIG and Shameful.Rawling's justice in Ghana is what we need in Nigeria today to clean up corruption.
Corrupt politicians continue to dorminate Nigerian political secene.Corrupt Ex-Prez, asking current Prez to intervene on behalf of Corrupt Ex-Governor.This is BIG and Shameful.Rawling's justice in Ghana is what we need in Nigeria today to clean up corruption.
For Yaradua to have done this, I think he should be sack by the national assemble, if the lawmakers were really there to represent the interest of the nation. Obasanjo also should be arrested. The attitude of Yaradua in this matter has shown to the whole world that he also is corrupt, and that he was put there by his godfather in order to cover up the evils that he did when he was in power. Now Yaradua said N59 billion should be realise for electricity, only God knows how much of this money will be going into PDP's pocket... [Read Full Text]
He must be jailed to set example to other government officials example in Africa.
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