Former aide battles ex-Delta State Speaker over N9 million

Abiodun Frank Itua, a former legislative assistant to Monday Igbuya, a former Speaker of Delta State, has cried out over the alleged refusal of the former Speaker to return the N9 million entrusted to him.

Itua told The Guardian that he started working with the former Speaker, who was impeached in 2017, when he became the Majority leader of the Delta State House of Assembly and that he was placed on N257,000 monthly, but he was paying the sum of N226,000 monthly into the account of the former Speaker, based on his advice not to waste his money, that it will be better saved if the money is in his account.

He alleged that the son of the ex-Speaker, Emrowan Igbuya, was the highest-paid aid to his father, while he was a Speaker, whereas, he was in the U.S. and collecting salary from the government and the last time he came to Nigeria was in January 2017, when the government was carrying out verification exercise.

Itua, who shared some of the pay slips he used in paying money into Igbuya’s bank account, also alleged compromise on the part of Commissioner of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Edo and Delta State, Yusuf Olatunji.

He said: “In my petition, I gave the name of the bank, and his account number, but Mr. Olatunji asked me who would provide him with the former speaker’s son’s account, even though, he has been on the petition for three years.

“Mr. Olatunji also said he had written to the Embassy. I don’t understand what he meant by that because if the agency wanted to invite anyone, it will be done through Interpol and not the embassy as the commissioner claimed. They are only shielding the former Speaker from justice. The son of the ex-Speaker has also threatened me severally.

“The investigating officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Rivers State, Olayinka Macaulay had told me in November 2017 to come over to the Port Harcourt office to get my draft, but when I got there, I met the ex-Speaker in his office and I requested for the draft, but he told us that he doesn’t have any draft.

“Macaulay didn’t say anything further. I left there that day. I wasted my money and my time going there.

“When Mr. Igbuya was the majority leader of Delta State House of Assembly, we were five aides attached to him, he should provide evidence if other aides were putting money into his personal account like I was doing.

“I have been with him since 2005, before my appointment in 2012 and I am surprised why he has refused to return my money.”

When The Guardian reached out to the ex-Speaker, after listening to the allegation, he ended the call. Subsequently, he stopped picking calls and thereafter barred the reporter from calling. An enquiry was also sent to him on Whatsapp, but he blocked the reporter’s number.

The Guardian also reached out to Olatunji, who said he couldn’t speak on the matter but asked the reporter to check the agency’s website to get a number to call. A number 08031230280 was called, a lady picked but claimed she was not aware of the case. On his part, Macaulay said: “Frank has reported me to too many persons, and it’s time to take up a case against him.”