 N244bn Rivers loot: EFCC moves to arrest Odili
N244bn Rivers loot: EFCC moves to arrest Odili
Challenges court order Turns searchlight on indicted banks, others
By DICKSON OMONODE
THE attempts by former Rivers State governor, Dr. Peter Odili to escape the long arms of the law may presently be fluttering. National Daily investigation has disclosed fresh initiatives by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to bring the erstwhile Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential hopeful who was governor of the oil-rich state for eight years to book.
It was reliably gathered that the anti-corruption agency last week got the nod of the Federal High Court to challenge the perpetual injunction restraining it from arresting or prosecuting Dr. Odili.
With this development, sources close to the EFCC hinted, the coast is now clear to bring Odili and those indicted by the investigation which has since been concluded to book.
According to our source, there is a 70-30 per cent chance, in favour of the anti-graft commission, of getting the restraining order vacated within the next 21 days.
It was also disclosed that two First Generation banks and a Third Generation bank that were used by the embattled former Rivers governor may be dragged along in the trial. Investigators believe that the banks failed to report to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the suspicious transactions.
To date, it has been practically impossible for the anti-corruption body to arrest, detain or prosecute Odili in view of his 'smart' move to have secured a perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC from arresting, detaining or prosecuting him. The injunction which was granted by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, also restrained EFCC jointly and severally from publishing or disseminating its investigative report on the alleged looting of Rivers State by Odili. With this injunction, Odili has remained untouchable, but not for too long, as the Farida Waziri-led EFCC has engaged the services of a formidable team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria to help quash the ruling.
National Daily intelligence further gathered that the team of Lawyers has put together over a hundred charges that would be preferred against Odili and those believed to have played roles in the alleged looting of Rivers State treasury to the tune of about N244bn.
During investigation, Dr. Odili just like his Delta State counterpart, Chief James Ibori, refunded to the EFCC the United States Dollar equivalence of N2 billion as part of funds allegedly looted from Rivers State treasury. Also, dozens of property and huge funds amounting to several billions of Naira have been traced by investigators to allies and cronies of the former Rivers State governor.
Information reaching National Daily has revealed that EFCC has spread its dragnet around Odili as well as indicted individuals and corporate organisations that would be charged to court. According to sources within the EFCC, they are all under surveillance at the moment.
It will be the mother of all legal battles, said an Odili ally who did not want his name mentioned. Adding, let us see how the EFCC can substantiate their claims that Odili looted Rivers State funds.
Odili's woes began when he failed to snatch the presidential ticket of the ruling party in a run up to the 2007 presidential elections. The then President Olusegun Obasanjo was said to have been privy to an investigation report conducted by the EFCC under the leadership of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. The report which was submitted to President Obasanjo on the eve of the ruling party's national convention primarily doused Odili's Aso Rock ambition. Odili reportedly tried in vain to have the report set aside by mounting pressure on the EFCC through a combination of traditional rulers and known associates of his friend, President Obasanjo. His plot failed.
The report made it to the president and on the strength of the report, he was asked to withdraw from contesting his party's primaries, a decision that brought tears to his eyes. On his part, Ribadu had vowed to jail Odili, and was actually at the verge of making real this threat when Odili got the court order perpetually restraining the EFCC from arresting, detaining or prosecuting him for stealing state funds.
It was however gathered that Odili, himself, is not leaving the matter to fate. He is said to be mobilising a team of legal luminaries should the EFCC succeed in its moves to vacate the restraining order.
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