The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has mapped out fresh strategies on how to arrest the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, SUNDAY PUNCH findings have revealed.


The commission, which rose from an emergency meeting on Friday, said it had also set up two teams to verify and ascertain Bankole’s properties in Lagos and Ogun states.


All unit heads at the Abuja headquarters of the EFCC attended the meeting.


SUNDAY PUNCH findings revealed that the teams were constituted and their members asked to go to the states immediately for the assignment.


They were also mandated to ensure that all Bankole’s properties in the two states are properly identified as this could aid the prosecution of the Speaker. Our correspondent gathered that the EFCC chair, Farida Waziri, vowed to detain Bankole on Monday.


A reliable source at the EFCC who did not want to be mentioned said, “He has boxed himself to a corner. Now, he cannot afford to be on the defensive any longer. If he had honoured our invitation last week and come to the office himself, we would not have detained him. The maximum time he would have spent with us would have been one hour. But now that he wants to do it his way, he cannot escape detention. We are going to detain him.


“It is obvious that we have given him a long rope and we are eagerly waiting for him to honour his words that he will come to us on Monday by 12pm. If he does not come to us, we will go to him. What happened on Friday will not repeat itself.”


Following the commission’s resolve, surveillance around the Speaker and members of his family has been stepped up on Saturday.


The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said, “We got information that he was planning to leave the country so we put him on our watch-list and he remains on it till he turns himself in or we arrest him.”


Bankole, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Bakare, however said, “Contrary to widespread speculations that the outgoing Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, has been arrested or resisted EFCC arrest, the Speaker has informed officials of EFCC of his intention to honour their invitation on Monday June, 2011 at 2pm.”


The EFCC had launched an investigation into Bankole’s activities following a petition from a group, Youth Anti-Corruption League.


The group had called on the EFCC to investigate the N10bn loan controversy, Bankole’s role in the N2.3bn car scam, and the mismanagement of the N9bn capital budget of the House for 2008/2009.


Twice, Bankole had spurned the summons of the EFCC over the N10bn loan, the last of such invitations was Tuesday.


The outgoing speaker had written to the anti-graft commission, rescheduling the time to appear before the five-man panel of investigators probing into the alleged scam in the House.


Men of the anti-graft commission had invaded Bankole’s home following security reports that Bankole was preparing to flee to the United Kingdom and this prompted the operatives to mount surveillance in his residence around 8pm on Thursday night.


It was gathered that on sighting EFCC operatives, Bankole made frantic calls to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, and other prominent Nigerians asking them to come to his aid.


This call was said to have prompted Ringim’s visit to Bankole’s house where he reportedly increased the security around the Speaker.


It was learnt that all attempts by the EFCC operatives to gain access to him were resisted by a detachment of policemen, including some members of the Police Mobile Force and a shoot-out between the policemen and EFCC members of staff was quickly nipped in the bud.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201106053253271

Na wa o.  Poor guy. He didn't know the money wasn't his to take, so how can we blame him?

LOL, i didnt knw police always prevent ppl, who are accused from getting arrested,
anytime niger politics is being played, is like i never went to school,
with different tactics everyday, like this one wey i see today o

^^ And what is "fresh air" doing as chief security officer of the nation? What does it bode for his anti-corruption stance if a man accused of stealing Billions and now not possessing of any immunity and not deserving of federal security since he has no official post, is being secured by federal agents who were ready to use lethal force on other federal agents just to protect him from being questioned.

Fresh - NOT! More like FETID. Because all the President had to do was order the guards to stand down if he truly wants accountability. But he's obviously decided to be president FOR the vultures against Nigeria, not president of/for Nigeria

nuclearboy:

^^ And what is "fresh air" doing as chief security officer of the nation? What does it bode for his anti-corruption stance if a man accused of stealing Billions and now not possessing of any immunity and not deserving of federal security since he has no official post, is being secured by federal agents who were ready to use lethal force on other federal agents just to protect him from being questioned.

Fresh - NOT! More like FETID. Because all the President had to do was order the guards to stand down if he truly wants accountability. But he's obviously decided to be president FOR the vultures against Nigeria, not  president of/for Nigeria

Thank you very much Nuclearboy.

It makes we wonder the kind of message GEJ is trying to send. I don't know when EFCC operatives became target practice for Bankole's police security.

A man accused of diverting billions public funds to his personal use is being protected by federal agents ! Dammit!
GEJ has gone from celebrating criminal to protecting them. Watchout how Bonkole leaves this country. Thank goodness i did not vote for this corrupt stinking president. You ask for it. . . Big fresh fart!
!

It's ludicrous that police officers would hinder law enforcement agents from performing legitimate duties.

It is this same shameful way that those useless policemen obstruct NAFDAC men in Lagos from laying their hands on importers/manufacturers of fake/contraband goods.

Another thing that irks me is these so called western countries who are saying the election was free and fair.The UK embassy is obviously awake and denying visas to Nigerians who are trying to go overseas and make a better life for themselves but they have not revoked bankole's visa.Bankole has been on the news for a few days now ,if the[b] British Government [/b]cared about ordinary Nigerians as they always claim to do ,why can't they revoke bankole's visa so that he does not exit Nigeria to the Uk 

It is the same way they allowed OGD into the U.K knowing fully well that he is a corrupt Government official from Nigeria who is definitely on the run? They said they questioned him,questioned him for wetin? Why can't they deport him back to Nigeria to face the Law? Why all the time wasting? Abeg they are not fooling me o! Once they have stripped him of his loot and kept it for themselves then they will jail him like Ibori 

So are they saying that if well known Boko Haram folks escape to the U.K ,they will let them in to the U.K without deporting them? It is ok for looters to go an chill in the U.K but not O.K for terrorist.

The[b] Western Governments[/b] (NWO) who are obviously GEJ's puppet masters want Bankole to escape to the UK where he can deposit his stolen loot to boost their economy.I tire for this world we live in.After they will say Nigeria is on the move,which kind yeye move be that when vivid criminality like this still exist in the highest office in the land. 

@playmode. Boko haram are 2 different scenario, bh has the tenddency to take innocent lives but bankole would bring his ill gotten wealth to develop their economy. So it is absolutely impossible for them to revoke his Visa.But na God go punish all of them that are shielding these criminals.

Do we know for a fact that he actually did steal the money?

Maybe he needs time to conduct his own personal investigations.

breaking news on how they shared loot is in the Vanguard.
www.vanguardngr.com

@playmode

Both Bankole & OGD are both British Citizens and as far as d British are concerned not any  different from many British citizens sojourning in a foreign country moreso d country concerned has not raised any alarm or distress call concernng both individuals.

ogd WAS BORN IN uk?