By Kunle Aremu
Their sins cannot be easily blotted because of its sizes. Even though they have not been convicted, the suspects have seen courts and slept in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC a few times.
Their names are prominent on the list of three big cases Nigerians will want the commission to conclude in 2025.
Not only are they public figures, their sins are maybe damaging and will never be swept under the carpet due to the media and public interest it had generated.
Nigerians will remind the anti-graft agency about the case of 753 duplexes discovered at the Cadastral zone area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; the over N82bn allegation of misappropriation against former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello and over N5.8bn alleged contract fraud by the former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika.
The duplexes, allegedly built with the proceeds of corruption and owned by people who many alleged may be friends to the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, is no doubt a sin the commission must adequately expose this year.
Although some of the documents filed at the court by EFCC over the case revealed the property was owned by a former apex bank boss and cronies, there is need for the anti-graft agency to categorically name those that are involved in the estate scandal.
For Sirika who was granted N100 million bail by Abuja court, the involvement of his brother, Ahmad Abubakar Sirika, and two companies Enginos Nigeria Limited and Samahah Integrated Investment Limited gave it an interesting twist that is still before Justice S.B. Belgore of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court Garki .
They were arraigned on an amended 10-count charge bordering on contract fraud to the tune of N5,802,254,573.55( Five Billion Eight Hundred and Two Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Four Thousand, Five Hundred and Seventy Three Naira, Fifty Five Kobo).
Sirika allegedly used his position to confer unfair advantage upon Enginos Nigeria Limited whose alter ego, Ahmad Abubakar Sirika is his biological brother.
He was alleged to have used his position to award contract to his brother and the company for the construction of a Terminal Building at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1,345,586,500.00 thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same Section”.
On the count two Hadi Abubakar Sirika, while being the Minister of Aviation, on or about 3rd November 2022, in Abuja did use his position to confer unfair advantage upon Enginos Nigeria Limited whose alter ego, Ahmad Abubakar Sirika is his blood brother.
By using his position to influence the award to them, the contract for the establishment of Fire Truck Maintenance and Refurbishment Centre at Katsina Airport for the sum of N3,811,497,685.00 (Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Eleven Million, Four Hundred and Ninety Seven Thousand, Six Hundred and Eight Five Naira Only) Sirika committed an offence contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same Section.’
The third big case is that of Yahaya Bello, which will be a slap on Nigerians if after all the drama it attracted for many months, the case is allowed to die abruptly.
With N500 million bail, it sounds ridiculous that Bello entered Lokoja like a hero. He was received by his kinsmen amidst rousing welcome.
Aside from that, he stood before the crowd to declare his innocence in a case that is still in court, calling on his people to support President Bola Tinubu.
On the day he arrived from EFCC custody, the Koton-karfe/Lokoja road was literally blocked as supporters, kinsmen and well wishers stormed the roads to join the former governor’s convoy amid cheers.
It took him about six hours to finally access the palace of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, His Royal Majesty Tijani Ahmed Anaje.
This was a man alleged of financial misappropriation and who was only granted bail for alleged money laundering case. A man that had not been exonerated from the sin he committed, yet his people threw up celebration on the streets of Kogi for his temporary freedom.
Funnily enough, the incumbent governor of the state, Alhaji Usman Ododo, joined in the streets chant with the people singing solidarity songs and praying for the continuous upliftment of the state under the new administration.
The crowd eulogised Bello and assured him that their prayers were with him and thanked him for giving them a governor like Ododo as successor.
But the twist of the jamboree was when called on the people to support President Bola Tinubu. The question is what does the call need to do with the various allegations against him.
Perhaps Bello was out to patronise the president by painting the scenario of his bail and consequent celebration as the handiwork of the president, forgetting that law will take its course despite his politicking.
Other sins in the diary of EFCC will include money laundering cases against 13 former governors and some former ministers, with the amounts involved running into over N853.8bn.
These are high-profile cases involving the former governors and ex-ministers over N772.2bn fraud, which the EFCC is currently investigating, especially the N81.6bn that was allegedly looted in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The case of $2.2bn alleged to have been diverted by a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki; late media mogul, Raymond Dokpesi; former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa; and former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, and others will be reopened.
Recall that this money was meant for arms procurement in support of the war against terrorists, but it was laundered, diverted, and misappropriated.
The 13 governors are moving freely across the country and they include the two former Ekiti State governors, Kayode Fayemi and Ayo Fayose; former Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawalle; two former Enugu State governors, Chimaroke Nnamani and Sullivan Chime; former Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Adamu; former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Others are former Rivers State governor, Peter Odili; former Abia State governor, Theodore Orji; former Gombe State governor, Danjuma Goje; former Sokoto State governor, Aliyu Wamako; former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva; and former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido.
Matawalle, who is currently serving as the Minister of Defence in the administration of President Bola Tinubu, is being probed for alleged N70bn money laundering; while Fayemi, who served as Minister of Solid Minerals Development in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet from November 11, 2015 to May 30, 2018, before resigning to contest the governorship election for his second term, is being investigated for an alleged N4bn fraud, while Fayose, a two-term governor of Ekiti State, is being investigated by the anti-graft agency for an alleged N6.9bn fraud.
Nnamani is being probed for an alleged N5.3bn fraud; Chime is being investigated over an alleged N450m campaign fraud as part of the N23bn allegedly shared by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, while Adamu is under probe for alleged N15bn fraud.
•Kunle Aremu is a seasoned journalist and regular columnist.
