Precious Elekima, a former governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has filed a suit seeking to probe the deployment of funds during the tenure of Nyesom Wike, former governor of River.
The Incorporated Trustees of Peoples Life Improvement Foundation (PLIF), a group, is also a co-plaintiff in the suit marked FHC/PH/CS/199/2023 filed before a federal high court in Port-Harcourt on Tuesday.
The plaintiffs are alleging that Wike diverted funds belonging to Rivers state during his administration and are asking the court to compel the inspector-general of police (IGP), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the former governor.
They stated that in the course of their official activities they “became aware and have reason to reasonably suspect and believe that the 4th respondent in his capacity as governor of Rivers state, during his tenure conspired with officials of the public service of Rivers state and officials of the 5th to 16th respondents (the banks) to fraudulently withdraw and encash the humongous sum of N117,000,000,000 funds belonging to the Rivers state government in excess of the threshold permitted by extant laws and financial regulations with intent to misappropriate and divert same and did in fact divert same for his personal benefit”.
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Elekima and the PLIF added that they “reasonably suspect that the 4th respondent, in conspiracy with other officials of the government of Rivers state and 5th to 16th respondents fraudulently withdrew, laundered and embezzled huge funds from the Rivers state internally generated revenue collected and domiciled in several accounts with the 5th to 16th respondents”.
They said they resorted to filing the suit after the defendants failed to act on their petition dated May 23, 2023.
The plaintiffs are praying the court to declare that the IGP, EFCC and ICPC have the statutory duties and powers to investigate their petition against Wike and some named bankers in the state.
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“An order of mandamus directing the 1st to 3rd respondents to investigate the criminal allegations made to them against the 4th to 16th respondents (Wike and the banks) in the said petition and prosecute them or any of them found culpable of the said criminal allegations,” the plaintiffs prayed.
Filed along with the suit for judicial review, is a motion ex-parte in which they are seeking leave to apply for an order of mandamus.
The named banks are Access, Ecobank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Fidelity, Guaranty Trust, Unity, Union Bank, Wema, Zenith, First Bank and Heritage Bank.
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