SaharaReporters has obtaineddetailed draft charges that never made it to the courts regarding the brazen looting of Rivers State treasury by the state’s former governor, Peter Odili. The documents show how Mr. Odili used a combination of government officials and personal companies disguised as frontsto fleece Rivers State to the tune of N100 billion between 2004 and 2007.
Saharareporters’ analysis ofthe draft charges, which were prepared by well-known Nigerian lawyer Festus Keyamo on behalf of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under the chairmanship of Mrs. Farida Waziri, reveal that, between December 2004 and September2006, Emmanuel Nkatah, a personal staff of the governor operating at the Rivers State liaison office in Abuja, alone withdrew over N4 billion naira from Zenith Bank account No. 6010916567 which belonged to Rivers State Government House.
The 220-count draft indictment targeted Mr. Odili and 24 others regarding allegations of theft, conspiracy to commit theft, money laundering and fraud.
The draft charges listed otheraccused persons and beneficiaries of Mr. Odili’s extensive looting. The list includes founder of Arik Airline, Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, former Minister of Aviation, Babalola Borisade, two former People's Democratic Party chairmen, Ahmadu Alli and Barnabas Gemade. Also listed as co-accused are Pauline K. Tallen, Mrs. Olufemi Agagu, IkeNwachukwu, a retired general,and Ukandi Damanchi, a professor.
The businesses named in the charge sheet include Courage Communications Ltd,Attn Ltd, Ragolis Water Ltd, M/S Wetland Health ServicesLtd, Transky Ltd, Foby Eng. Ltd, First Medical/Sterile Company Ltd, Habila Resources Ltd, Rockson Engineering Co. Ltd, Ojemai Farms Ltd, Ojemai Investments Ltd, and GodsonicOil Company Ltd, an oil company owned by Peter Odili which also has businessinterests in the Nigeria/Sao Tome Joint Development Zone (JDZ) Block 4.
The documents reveal, for instance, that between January 2004 and December 2006, Mr. Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, the alter ego of Rockson Eng. Ltd, received over N60 billion from the accounts of the Rivers State government. Also between September 2005 and the year 2006, Mr. Borishade was the beneficiary of an illegal diversion of over N4 billion in the guise that it would be used to rehabilitatePort Harcourt International Airport. On March 3rd and March 10th 2006, then Governor Odili withdrew the sum of $2 million U.S. dollars for personal use but in the guise that the money would be used to sponsor senior government officials on a trip abroad. As his tenure asgovernor drew to a close, Mr. Odili intensified the questionable withdrawals. OnMarch 16, 2007, he withdrewanother $2 million for the same purpose of sponsoringsenior government officials on a foreign trip. On April 20th 2007, he withdrew another $2million for the same purpose. On May 23, 2007, days beforehe left office, he withdrew another$1 million.
Of particular interest in the indictments is Mr. Odili’s corrupt entanglement with several major media organs.The charge sheet listed some media companies that receivedhuge sums of moneyfrom Mr. Odili’s loot. SaharaReporters learnt that the dole-outs to the media were designed to buy their silence.
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