Saraki: I can’t declare my wife’s family’s assets

Senate President Bukola Saraki says the Nigerian law does not require him to declare the assets of his wife’s family.

He was reacting to reports that he failed to declare at least four assets listed in a massive leak of documents detailing how prominent global figures are helped to stash away billions of dollars in secret offshore accounts by Panama-based law firm, Mossack Fonseca.

In a statement on Monday by Yusuph Olaniyonu, his media adviser, Saraki said he “fully complied” with the provisions of the law on declaration of assets by public officers.

He said the claim that he failed to declare the assets belonging to his wife, Toyin, is not true since “he has in his different asset declarations included properties owned individually by himself and his wife”.

Saraki is currently undergoing trial for allegedly failing to make full disclosure of his assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

“The property in question forms part of Dr Saraki’s wife’s family asset. It is public knowledge that Mrs. Saraki comes from a family of independent means and wealth with numerous and varied assets acquired over decades in family estates and investments,” the statement read.

“Furthermore, the law only requires a public officer to declare both his own assets and those held by his spouse and his children under 18 years of age. The law does not require a public officer to declare assets held by the spouse’s family.

“It is not expected by the law that a public officer should declare such assets held in the spouse’s family estate. Indeed, the Code of Conduct form does not make provision for declaration of spouse’s family assets.”

His wife is from the Ojora family in Lagos.