The Economic and Financial Crimes Commis s
ion (EFCC) is holding in custody former
President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin, Mr.
Azibaola Roberts, over alleged links with the
arms scandal involving the Office of the
National Security Adviser (ONSA). New
Telegraph gathered that Roberts, who was
arrested on March 23, alongside his colleague,
Dakoru Atukpa, is the owner of Oneplus
Holdings, which was among the 300 firms
indicted by the Presidential Audit Panel on
arms procurement between 2007 and 2015.
Oneplus Holdings was paid $40 million by
former National Security Adviser (NSA),
Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), for oil pipelines
security contract. The 13-man Arms Panel,
after scrutinising documents, had
recommended Oneplus Holdings, among other
companies and persons, for further
investigation by the EFCC.
Roberts’ counsel, Mr. Goddy Uche (SAN), has
alleged a case of vendetta against former
President Jonathan. Uche said the suspect
was allegedly being persecuted owing to his
relationship with the former president. Uche
accused the Federal Government of shying
away from its responsibility to pay Roberts’
company an honorarium of $4 million, being
an outstanding payment for an assignment,
which his client helped the Federal
Government execute. “My client is being
(allegedly) persecuted and punished because
of his DNA, as a relative of Dr. Goodluck
Jonathan.
“It is impunity and breach of their
fundamental human rights. We have a civil
dispute and then you turn around to lock up
the party with whom you have a dispute.
Then, you go ahead to give him impossible
bail conditions.
Two federal serving directors each with
properties in Maitama or Asokoro and original
of their Certificates of Occupancy; the four
directors are also required to present bail
bonds of N250 million each from reputable
banks. “Robert and Atukpa are also required
to deposit their international passports.
“Which serving director in Nigeria today has
property in Asokoro or Maitama district and
can boast of N250 million? It’s like saying
bring the bones of your grandmother alive
before we grant you bail. “The annoying thing
is that while we were working to fulfill the bail
conditions, the EFCC went to court and
obtained a remand order; which means that
the Commission never intended to grant them
bail in the first place.
“My clients are innocent until proven guilty,
according to the laws of Nigeria. So, their
continuous detention is a breach of their
fundamental human rights as free citizens of
Nigeria. The appropriate thing for the EFCC to
do in this circumstance is to release them now
or charge them to court,” Uche said.
The EFCC, however, denied any wrongdoing, as
the anti-graft agency said it has a valid order
of court to keep the duo, pending conclusion
of investigation. In an interview with New
Telegraph yesterday, the Head of Media and
Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren,
hinged the continuous detention of Roberts
and Atukpa, on their inability to meet the
administrative bail condition(s) the
commission granted them.
He further disclosed that the anti-graft agency
has in its possession a valid order of court, to
keep the duo pending conclusion of
investigations. According to Uwujaren, “He
(Roberts) was arrested and is still being held.
Two days after they were offered
administrative bail, they could not meet the
terms of that bail. ”
Consequently, the commission went and
obtained a valid court order to keep them,
pending conclusion of investigation.” Since
the inauguration of the Presidential Audit
Panel, revelations of alleged non-compliance
with procurement law, have been made,
leading to the arrests and prosecution of well-
placed individuals, including Dasuki, a former
Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Attahiru
Bafarawa, as well as a former Minister of
State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda.
Also arrested were a for mer Chief of Defence
Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh
trtd), an ex- Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air
Marshal Adesola Amosu (rtd), and many other
retired and serving military officers. http://newtelegraphonline.com/arms-scandal-efcc-detains-jonathans-cousin-2/