Former governors James Ibori and Lucky Igbinedion of Delta and Edo states respectively were at the Abuja head office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the second visit since last week.



According to Elendureports.com sources, the two governors have been given conditions by the EFCC to refund money in cash and assets worth about N60 million. But we could not get details of how much each of the governors is to refund. Sources at EFCC told this reporter that Commission gave assurances that the governors would be allowed to go home as free men if they agree to refund the said amount.

The two governors were said to have been told categorically that failure to accept the EFCC condition would mean outright detention and prosecution. Top officers of EFCC presented some documents containing the amount they looted from their states treasuries and how the acts were committed. The source further said that the governors who were quite sober while they were at EFCC are most likely to accept the conditions as they have amassed wealth far more than what they are being asked to give back to the state.

Elendureports.com gathered that James Ibori was advised by a friend to watch his spending on the elections given that he was soon to leave office. According to this friend, Ibori boasted that his expenditure on the election was nothing compared to his networth and said: “At least I will be with the new government for at least two months. That’s enough time for me to recoup my investments.”

Our EFCC sources also said that asking the governors to pay money for freedom means that the government may have decided not to go ahead with the expected clamp down of the former governors who actually contributed to the success of President Musa Yar’Adua during the 2007 elections. James Ibori was among the former governor who accompanied Peter Odili, former governor of River state to pay solidarity visit to the President few days after he was announced as the winner of the presidential election. The governors had asked the then president-elect not to forget those who contributed to his victory when he assumes office as the president of the country.

Ibori and Igbinedion are among the governors who the EFCC said have looted the treasury of their states and threatened to deal with them when they handover office as they would have lost the immunity granted them by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Others include Boni Haruna of Adamawa, Orji Kalu of Abia, Sani Yerima of Zamfara, Jolly Nyame of Taraba, Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu.


http://elendureports.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=430&Itemid=1

the two governors have been given conditions by the EFCC to refund money in cash and assets worth about N60 million

Are u sure about this,cus it definitely sounds like[b] peanuts[/b] to me

Why do people waste time on all this useless propaganda to sell paper in Nigeria. Where they there when this people were investigated? maybe inside gave them the info

One paper said 60 Million another said 60 Billion.

Watch as soon as ATIKU is arrested, all this news will be gone

EFCC insists on trial of ex-governors
By Musikilu Mojeed, Abuja
Published: Thursday, 14 Jun 2007
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Monday, insisted that it would prosecute former governors who looted state funds.

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Photo file
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu

The commission said it might not accept the ex-governors’ request for plea bargaining.

Plea bargaining is a negotiation in which an accused person agrees to plead “guilty” or “no contest” in return for the reduction of the charges or dismissal of some of the charges against him or her.

In some situations, an element of the bargain may recommend that the accused reveal some information on the location of stolen goods or give information about fellow accused person(s) in the crime or pledge to testify against the accused.

A top official of the EFCC told our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday that the commission had realised that it “lacked the power for plea bargaining.”

The official said, “We have reconsidered our position and the former governors may not enjoy the kind of reprieve they expected. The power for plea bargaining belongs to the courts. We don’t have such a power.”

The commission had last week given some former governors the option of returning their loot, or risk being prosecuted.

In the past one week, it had quizzed Dr. Peter Odili (Rivers); Chief Lucky Igbinedion (Edo); Chief James Ibori (Delta); Mr. Jolly Nyame (Taraba); and Alhaji Ahmed Sani (Zamfara) over alleged mismanagement of public funds and money laundering.

Others are Chief Uzor Orji Kalu (Abia); Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (Lagos); Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu); and Chief Joshua Dariye (Plateau).

Alhaji Saminu Turaki (Jigawa); Mr. Boni Haruna (Adamawa); and Chief George Akume (Benue), who were also summoned by the anti-graft agency, are yet to honour the invitation.

Our source said that apart from the fact that the EFCC lacked the power for plea bargaining, its chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, was resolute in prosecuting the erstwhile governors no matter the pressure.

He also said the anti-graft agency had to make a U-turn following admonitions by well-meaning Nigerians that the earlier decision not to prosecute indicted former governors might set a bad precedent.

The official said, “We toyed with that idea (plea bargaining), but have changed our mind. We are not going to do that any longer. So, once investigation is completed, we will charge them to court.

“But we encourage them to return their loot all the same. If they do that, they may get forgiveness from God. By doing that, they will be helping their conscience as they will be moving from a blemished conscience to a good one.

“If they like to plead guilty before the court, that is their business. No more deals with them.”

Another source in the commission said that the loot-for-freedom offer was part of the investigative technique of the EFCC.

He said the commission made the offer as a bait for those who had fled the country to return home.

”We have succeeded in getting what we wanted to achieve. The offer is what encouraged Nnamani and Dariye to return home. Now that we have them in the bag, we will prosecute them,” he said.

The official said that operatives of the EFCC would start visiting the states next week to verify projects that some of the governors claimed to have executed during their tenure.

Before travelling to London on Wednesday, Ribadu reportedly instructed the commission’s Director of Operations, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, to intensify work on the investigation of the former governors.

Ribadu, who will attend a meeting in Norway before returning to the country, was also said to have advised Lamorde to seek the assistance of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors and the Nigerian Society of Engineers in the investigation of some projects that required technical input.

The official added that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar would be questioned again on his management of the finances of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund.

Abubakar is expected back in the country on Thursday.

The official said all the interrogated former governors were released on bail after they surrendered their passports as proof that they would not flee the country.

He said, ”All of them (former governors) who came here were released on bail. And the bail was not based on personal recognition.

“I can confirm to you that because of the gravity of the matter involved, the bail conditions were stiff.

“One of the conditions was that they had to surrender their diplomatic and Nigerian passports.

“Now that we have their travelling documents in our custody, we are sure that they won‘t run away. We believe that as law-abiding citizens, they will honour the EFCC‘s invitation whenever we ask them to report to our office

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200706142212129

Do not be suprised to see video conversation between these men and EFCC in court.
This is just a ploy to corroborate their allegations.

;d ;d ;d

My year is getting more pleasant by the day.

Ibori and Igbinedion----------------THE REAL AKI AND PAWPAW OF SOUTH SOUTH!

LOL@ Aki and Pawpaw

Abeg they should run this thing slowly. If this cartel of ex-governors gets excessively threatened, they may start machinating a coup. This whole thing is supposed to go on gradually.

Coup with who? dont u realise that nigerians are cowards.