Jibrin, suspended lawmaker, accused of operating 5 foreign bank accounts

The anti-corruption unit of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) says it has uncovered five foreign bank accounts operated by Abdulmumin Jibrin, suspended member of the house of representatives.

The sort codes and bank accounts numbers uncovered are Barclays Bank International Account, SC 204744 AC 33471268; Barclays Bank Reserve Account, SC 204744 AC 43707164; Barclays Bank Mortgage Account, SC 204744 AC 94030664; Barclays Bank Euro Currency Account SC 204744 AC 52339433 and Barclays Bank USD currency Account, SC 204744 AC 74521222.

In a petition signed by Ifeanyi Okonkwo, dated November 30 and addressed to Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, the NYCN said 81 Cotswold Gardens, London, NW2 1PE was the address used by Jibrin to open the bank accounts.

The petition, which was also sent to Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); and Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, called for a fresh investigation into Jibrin over the said findings.

Furthermore, Okonkwo, the coordinator of the anti-corruption unit of the NYCN, said the fifth schedule, paragraph 3 1999 constitution as amended provides that legislators are part of the category of public officers who should not operate a bank account outside the country.

“From the copy of the (Code of Conduct Bureau) form, it was revealed that Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin declared he owns only one house — a 4-bedroom bungalow in Kaduna, which he bought in 2008 for 150 million; furniture of 2.5 million for the N150 million house; one car, which he bought in the same 2008 for 15 million. Meanwhile, he claims in the form that he does not have any vacant undeveloped plot of land, does not own a farm, Orchard or ranch, factory or other enterprise and he also perjured in his deposition that he does not own a foreign account,” Okonkwo said.

“The same Hon. Jibrin Nigerians know in Abuja leaving in affluence is the same one creating a spartan image for himself. How fraudulent?

“Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin owns at least five accounts with Barclays Bank alone with a Euro account, Dollar account, mortgage account, reserve account and international account. All the accounts are functional and he uses them while still serving as a member of the house of representatives and have not declared their existence to the relevant authorities.”

Although copy of Jibrin’s CCB forms as seen by TheCable showed that he did not declare the existence of any foreign bank accounts, he described the claims of the group as all “lies and misinfirmation”.

“My attention has been drawn for the umpteenth times to yet again another bunch of lies and misinformation by the discredited and so called “Anti corruption unit” of the “Nigerian Youth Council” whose only client now is the corrupt cabal of the House of Representatives headed by Speaker Yakubu Dogara,” Jibrin said in a statement.

“The Speaker has provided the platform of the Ethics committee of the House lead by the fraudulent Nicolas Osai, whose stock in trade is now blackmail and dirty hatchet jobs, to be used by such crooks lead by one Ikenger Ugo Chinyere who was few years ago arrested for robbery-related cases. It is sad that the House of Representatives of the Nigerian people has now descended to such a low and disgusting level.

“You will recall that similar allegations were made by the same group few weeks ago that turned out to be a tissues of lies with the aim of blackmailing me and damaging my reputation. I promptly reported the matter to the police and sued the group and its sponsor to court. It is curious why the police are yet to take decisive action on the matter since the last episode.

“Even as the latest allegations still has nothing to do with my five years stewardship in the House, the question is, why has the Ethics committee or the so-called youth council turned deaf ears on the monumental allegations of 40 billion, 20 billion, 30 billion and 284 billion budget fraud? Diversion of projects by the Speaker to his farm? Millions of naira in bribe collected on 2015 MDG and car purchase in the 7th House, 500 million naira collected by the Speaker and his deputy for rents? 2billion naira worth of house the Speaker built in Abuja within 6months? 5 billion money laundering as Chairman House services in 7th Assembly, 5 million dollars bribe money collected from a former petroleum minister at the house of a Lebanese business man in Abuja? Massive farm that moved from 10 heaters to 500 hectares funded from illicit funds within months of becoming Speaker? Speaker Dogara refusal to release internal budget of the House? Fraudulent contracts and misappropriation and mismanagement of billions of naira of House allocation after deduction running cost? Why don’t the Chairman Ethics committee and the so called anti corruption group start by investigating the Chairman House ethics Committee himself who has out rightly stolen his running cost allowances. If we truly want to help the country the above mentioned is where to start from.

“On the latest misinformation, the Barclays account were opened long before I joined the house. All the accounts including the Euro and Dollar are dormant with no transaction what so ever as claimed and balance of 1 euro and 1 dollar respectively until they were closed. The mortgage account which I used to buy 81 Cotswold garden in 2009 is non performing and has been in debit. On the piece of land in my village, it is owned by local farmers who are willing to donate such lands so long as it will be used to bring massive development to our town. The allegations are false and concocted to portray me in bad light in the eyes of the public.

“I there fore wish to state that the allegations are an extension of the witch hunt by the corrupt cabal in the House. The motive behind this latest hatchet job in the name of investigating me by the Ethics committee is so glaring. The fraudulent cabal of the House are jittery, knowing full well that the arms of the law is at close length on the strength of allegations of budget fraud, abuse of office and corruption I levelled against them. And of course the international dimension of criminal case against Speaker Dogara and others for creating the monumental scam called running cost which has cost the county about 500 billion naira which my lawyers in London are preparing to file before the Interpol and FBI. The desperation is real and Nigerians can now understand why they have tried several times to kid nap or assassinate me.

“Speake Dogara has gone as far as securing the services of a former member from the south south zone who has hired private detectives to dig what ever they can find against me. I advise Speaker Dogara rather than waste his money on consultants to bring down Jibrin, he alongside his corruption cabal both within and outside the House should prepare for a long long time in jail.”