Again, Jibrin alleges threat to his life

• Insists N284b fraudulent projects inserted into budget
• Urges action by Buhari • Claim laughable, foolish, says Hembe

The embattled member of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin yesterday vowed never to return to Nigeria unless his safety is guaranteed.

Jibrin, who is a recipient of an award conferred on him by a media outfit in the United kingdom (UK) over his self-acclaimed anti- corruption stance, was suspended by the House of Representatives after accusing the Speaker, some principal officers and a few members of corruption, abuse of office and padding of the 2016 budget.

In an exclusive interview with BEN TV in London monitored in Abuja, the lawmaker claimed he was left with no choice but to stay put in the U.K. for now because he received threats from some of his colleagues over his stance on corruption.

He alleged that the House cabal led by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara; Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun; Whip Alhassan Doguwa; and Minority Leader Leo Ogor are using Herma Hembe to either assassinate or kidnap him or members of his family.

The lawmaker also said the initial silence of President Muhammadu Buhari on the matter was a blessing in disguise because if the President had spoken much earlier he would have been accused of using him to fight the House leadership, saying the time is now ripe and the crisis is mature enough for the President to break his silence.

“The situation currently at hand is different from the initial stage of the crisis. The silence of the presidency is no longer sending the right message to Nigerians and the international community,” he said.

Jibrin revealed that he recently wrote to President Buhari, seeking audience to brief him about what he described as monumental fraud in the 2016 budget, individual and systemic corruption in the House and some vital information on how to check corruption in the lower chamber and cases of fraud in budget process and reform in the House.

The lawmaker said over 2000 fraudulent projects worth over N284 billion were inserted into 2016 budget, adding that such fraud never happened in the history of the Nigerian legislature.

Jibrin exonerated himself from any wrongdoing in the appropriation process, saying he had been in the House for five years and had never abused his office or corruptly enriched himself.

While reiterating his resolve to continue with the anti corruption campaign, he promised to take the campaign to international stage by reaching out to foreign governments, parliaments, media, civil society groups and Nigerians in the Diaspora to press further for the arrest and prosecution of Dogara, Lasun, Doguwa, Ogor and other members of the House.

Reacting, Hembe who is the chairman of the House Committee on the Federal capital Territory (FCT) described Jibrin’s claim that his life was under threat as “laughable and foolish.”

In a statement, he expressed belief that Jibrin must have gone to the U.K. in a bid to avoid arrest by the country’s anti-graft agencies closing in on him with their investigation into his past deeds.

“He might have got the hint of his possible prosecution and decided to flee while raising false alarm. May I remind him that no matter where he goes, justice will surely catch up with him.”