Toyin's Invitation By EFCC: Another Trouble For Saraki

Toyin's Invitation By EFCC: Another Trouble For Saraki

Saturday, July 25, 2015 11:23 pm


Senate President Bukola Saraki and Toyin, his wife.

Senate President Bukola Saraki and Toyin, his wife.

The invitation of Mrs. Toyin Saraki, wife of Senate President Bukola Saraki, is already causing tension in some quarters

EROMOSELE EBHOMELE.

It is not yet two months after Dr. Bukola Saraki, former governor of Kwara State, North-central Nigeria emerged controversially as the President of the eight session of the Nigerian Senate. Since his emergence, there has been a case of running from pillar to post to soften the hearts of those in the ruling All Progressives Party, APC, that had taken offence with some allegedly vowing to treat his disobedience to the party’s decision on the leadership of the National Assembly with the same quantum of disgrace he had meted to the party with his alleged ‘coup’ plotted with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which now has the position of the Deputy Senate President and occupied by Senator Ike Ekweremadu. What could now be the beginning of a long road for Saraki has gradually crept up in the invitation of his wife, Toyin, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The EFCC, one of the two major anti-graft agencies in the country which suddenly woke up to their responsibilities, summoned Toyin, a former First Lady of Kwara State where her husband still holds political powers even while in Abuja as a legislator. According to those privy to EFCC activities, the agency would be quizzing Saraki’s wife on 28 July concerning her roles in the money laundering scandal hanging over her. Part of this would also have to do with questionable inflow of funds into companies where she has interests.

Ironically, Toyin’s husband, in a bid to tally with the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, days ago, promised to support the President’s zeal to end corruption or reduce it in the country. Buhari on the other hand, has decided the direction he wants to take in the anti-corruption crusade. To him, there is no need to bother about shielding those within his party. Any of them who is found wanting should battle his innocence out without interference or intervention from the presidency.

With such clear signal from the President, Mrs. Saraki, whose husband is a top member of the ruling party, has joined the list of some of the high-powered Nigerians who have been summoned by the EFCC for questioning. Steve Oronsaye, former Head of Service, former Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State, former Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa and his sons, former Governor Murtala Nyanko of Adamawa and his son have not only been guests of the anti-graft agency, they have been arraigned and granted bail. The commission has also grilled Ali Modu Sheriff, former Borno State in the North-eastern part of Nigeria over alleged mismanagement of about N300 billion while he held sway in Borno.

The next set of ‘invited guests’ includes Kingsley Kuku, ex-aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Amnesty Programme and Zainabu Yar’adua-Dakingari, daughter of former President Umaru Yar’Adua and wife of former Governor Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi State in the North-western part of Nigeria. Zainab is to answer to questions relating to an alleged N2 billion fraud perpetrated during her husband’s tenure as governor and how her companies got a steady stream of cash while she was the state’s First Lady. She is now to appear on 27 July after she pleaded with the EFCC to allow her complete her lesser hajj which she was observing prior to the invitation

Dino Melaye: Toyin Saraki's invitation by EFCC, curious

Dino Melaye: Toyin Saraki’s invitation by EFCC, curious

Though Mrs. Toyin Saraki insists she does not have a knowledge of the reason(s) for her invitation, she would appear at the Abuja office of the agency the next day after Zainab. And she has promised to cooperate with the agency in its investigation according to Akeem Olagoke, her private secretary who released a statement to confirm the summon. “Her Excellency, Mrs Toyin Saraki, Founder of Wellbeing Foundation Africa and wife of the Senate President has been informed by her office that a letter of invitation was delivered to her office, by and from the EFCC. She has directed an immediate and formal response, to the EFCC, that she will be delighted to assist them with any lawful enquiries they may have, as a law abiding, transparent and accountable private citizen.”

As usual in Nigeria where the public declares one already guilty once one is invited by the anti-corruption bodies, some have concluded that Saraki is the main target, but that the EFCC wants to pass through his wife. Also, there are already statements like: “Saraki should not have taken a fight against his party when he knows he has a file with the EFCC that could be dusted any moment.”

True to fact, the EFCC had, many times in years past, attested to investigating Saraki. In August 2013, the commission said it was working to arrest Saraki for several fraud-related cases and especially for Saraki’s refusal to honour an invitation from it dated 25 July, 2013 and asking him to appear on 31 July, 2013. At this period, Saraki, who was elected to the Senate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and was the chairman, Senate Committee on Environment, was allegedly invited by the EFCC over his tenure at the defunct Societe General Bank of Nigeria and as governor of Kwara State for eight years. The former governor, who, through Bamikole Omishore, his aide, denied receiving the invitation at that time, however promised to appear once he was properly served since he only knew about his invitation in the newspapers. But he was quick to say it was a ploy to malign his image.

Hear him: “for the avoidance of doubt, those who have been following this unfolding drama will recall that the EFCC has been conducting investigations on the Senator between 2010 and 2012 without finding him wanting in any way. As regards SGBN, again this is not new, as investigation on this was done over 10 years ago and during the investigations Senator Saraki, while governor of Kwara State, waived his immunity to answer questions by EFCC officials in Lagos as regards his time at the bank.” He said nothing was found against him then.

Sule Lamido (middle) with his sons.

Sule Lamido (middle) with his sons.

In spite of his defence, Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesman for the EFCC insisted that Saraki was invited through the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly by a letter dated 25 July, 2013 and that the Senator was to report at Idiagbon House by 10am on Wednesday 31 July, 2013 but did not honour the invitation. “The Senator has eight major matters pending before the EFCC and the commission will use all means within the ambit of the law to compel him to honour the invitation,” he vowed.

Uwujaren’s position was later confirmed as the letter from the EFCC, signed by Mr Olaolu Adegbite, the EFCC Director of Operations, dated 25 July, 2013 and titled: ‘Investigation Activities on Senator Bukola Saraki’ and addressed to the Clerk of the National Assembly surfaced. “The EFCC is investigating a case of fraud involving the above Distinguished Senator. We accordingly seek your kind assistance to release him to report to the undersigned at Idiagbon House, No 5 Fomella Street, Wuse 2, Abuja at 10 am on July 31, 2013 in furtherance of the investigation. Thank you in anticipation of your usual cooperation, please,” the letter stated. It is not known if Saraki actually got the letter.

The former governor later visited the EFCC on two occasions according to report, but Uwujaren, who confirmed Saraki’s presence on one of the occasions, said the agency was also looking beyond his role in the bank into several other alleged financial dealings.

Elombah.com, an online medium, had quoted an unnamed investigative report to allege that Abdul Adama, Saraki’s Personal Assistant and other personal staff helped the former governor in laundering money in bits. The report which claimed that Mohammed Adoke, former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, intervened for Saraki resulting in an injunction in his favour from the court, also claimed that Saraki “bought a big mansion in London for four million, two hundred and fifty thousand pounds (£4,250,000.00). The house with title number, NGL805616, is located on 70 Bourne Street, London SW1W 8JW…The lease hold on the property was registered on 9 January 2002 with the land registry, Harrow Office. It was initially bought with a loan from Fortis Bank, SA-NV. The house has had a free hold as at 2005.” The mansion was allegedly bought on 29 November 2001.

But in 2006, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, then chairman of the EFCC, reportedly appeared before the Nigerian Senate where he said 31 out of 36 Nigerian governors were being investigated for corruption in office. Saraki and four others got a clean bill from Ribadu.

Ibrahim-Lamorde: EFCC boss

Ibrahim-Lamorde: EFCC boss

In June 2014, Uwujaren, at a press conference, restated that Saraki had not been freed of EFCC investigation. “As we speak, that investigation is still ongoing. We have not cleared anybody. The case against Saraki has to do with the transactions that took place when he was the managing director of Societe Generale Bank; also the things that took place when he was the governor of the state. I want to state that the investigation is still on,” Uwujaren said. Shortly before he became the Senate President, a newspaper reported that Saraki had “allegedly been receiving N100m monthly as an illegal pension from the current government of Kwara State.”

It is worthy of note that in May, even before Saraki finally became the Senate President, Mr. Bankole Omishore, one of his aides, raised the alarm that his boss was being targeted by some politicians who are opposed to him. And the belief is that such politicians were looking in the way of the EFCC to carry out their plot. He was quoted as saying the trend has been there either whenever Saraki was contesting election “or whenever he exposes the fraudulent activities of powerful individuals, using his position as a senator,” adding that there was no truth that the commission would dig out past allegations against him.

He also said the Saraki had no fresh case hanging on him as being carried out by speculators. “Senator Saraki completed his second term as governor in May 2011, alongside five others; namely, Gbenga Daniel (Ogun); Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo); Aliyu Doma (Nasarawa); Danjuma Goje (Gombe); and Ikedia Ohakim (Imo). The first four, though not found guilty after all, were invited by the EFCC and subsequently charged and prosecuted within a month after their tenure, but Saraki was never invited or investigated by the EFCC or any other anti-corruption agencies at the end of his tenure,” he said.

But with the invitation of Toyin, loyalists to Saraki do not feel their man is safe. They, including senators in his group, have begun cautioning the EFCC to avoid being used for political witch-hunt. In a statement, signed by Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West Senatorial District on Thursday, the senators described as very curious the invitation of Mrs. Saraki hoping that the invitation of was not politically motivated or linked with the on-going leadership tussle in the Senate. The senators, who said this position had become important because of threats and accusations from senators in the Ahmed Lawan faction of the Senate, added: “though, we do not want to make any hasty conclusion, we are surprised that about five years after the Sarakis left Government House, Ilorin, the EFCC suddenly realised the need to invite the wife. We hope this is not part of the plot we have heard about aimed at wrestling the Senate President down with different tactics…The EFCC definitely should perform its lawful duties but we warn that it should not return us to the dark days when the anti-graft agency was frequently and flagrantly used as a political weapon.”

It is not known if the Sarakis would scale through this like before. If they do, then the Senate President may have a smooth ride with the support of his colleagues.


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