Group drags Jibrin before CCB, EFCC over 5 foreign accounts

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has dragged the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation; Rep. Abdulmumin Jibrin before the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

He was also dragged by the NYCN to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly operating five foreign bank accounts as a serving legislator.

Ifeanyi Okonkwo, Coordinator of Anti-corruption Unit of the NYCN, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja when he presented copies of the petition to House Committee Chairman on Ethics and Privileges, Rep. Ossai Ossai.

The petition, signed by Ifeanyi Okonkwo, dated Nov. 30, 2016 was addressed to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara.

The petition was also addressed to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Malam Abubakar Malami, Chairman of CCB and the acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu.

According to the petition, all the five accounts are registered under the address: 81 Cotswold Gardens, London, NW2 1PE, by Jibrin.

Details of the petition showed that the sort codes and bank accounts number are: Barclays Bank International Account, SC 204744 AC33471268; Barclays Bank Reserve Account, SC 204744 AC 43707164.

It also showed Barclays Bank Mortgage Account, SC 204744 AC 94030664; Barclays Bank Euro Currency Account SC 204744 AC 52339433 and Barclays Bank USD currency Account, SC 204744 AC 74521222.

“According to the fifth schedule, paragraph 3 of the 1999 constitution as amended provides that legislators are part of the category of public officers who should not operate a bank account outside the country.

“From the copy of the Code of Conduct Bureau form, it was revealed that Abdulmumin Jibrin, owned only a 4-bedroom bungalow in Kaduna which he bought in 2008 for N150 million.

“Furniture of N2.5 million for the N150 million house, one car which he bought in the same 2008 for N15 million.

“He claims in the form that he does not have any undeveloped vacant plot of land, a farm, Orchard or ranch, factory or other enterprise.

“He also perjured in his deposition that he does not own a foreign account,’’ Okonkwo said.

According to Okonkwo, Jibrin owns at least five accounts with Barclays Bank alone with a Euro account, dollar account, mortgage account, reserve account and international account.

“All the accounts are functional and he uses them while still serving as a member of the House of Representatives and has not declared their existence to the relevant authorities,’’ he said

Receiving the petition, Ossai assured that the committee would be transparent in treating the petition.

Reacting, Jibrin confirmed in a statement that he owned the accounts but clarified that they were all dormant.

He said: “The Barclays accounts were opened long before I joined the House.

“All the accounts including the Euro and dollar are dormant with no transaction whatsoever as claimed and with the balance of 1 euro and 1 dollar respectively until they were closed.

“The mortgage account which I used to buy 81 Cotswold garden in 2009 is not performing and has been in debit.

“On the piece of land in my village, it is owned by local farmers who are willing to donate such land so long as it will be used to bring massive development to our town.

“The allegations are false and concocted to portray me in bad light in the eyes of the public,” he explained.

The lawmaker said that the allegations were part of the orchestrated plot by Dogara and his cohorts to tarnish his image.

Jibrin alleged that the NYCN was being used by the speaker to achieve the plot.

Jibrin said: “Why has the ethics committee or the NYCN turned deaf ears to the monumental allegations of 40 billion, 20 billion, 30 billion and 284 billion budget fraud among others.

“Why don’t the ethics committee and the so called anti-corruption group start by investigating the chairman of the ethics committee, who has out rightly stolen his running cost allowances.

“If we truly want to help the country, the above mentioned is where to start from.

“I, therefore, wish to state that the allegations are an extension of the witch-hunt by the corrupt cabal in the House.

“The motive behind this latest hatchet job in the name of investigating me by the ethics committee is so glaring.

“The fraudulent cabal of the House are jittery because the arms of the law is at close length on the strength of allegations of budget fraud, abuse of office and corruption I levelled against them.

“And of course the international dimension of criminal case against Dogara and others for creating the monumental scam called running cost which has cost the county about N500 billion.

“My lawyers in London are preparing to file some cases before the Interpol and FBI.

“The desperation is real and Nigerians can now understand why they have tried severally to kidnap or assassinate me.