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Senate to investigate Saraki over vehicle importation

By Tonye Bakare
21 March 2017   |   3:39 pm
The Nigerian senate is to investigate its president, Bukola Saraki, over an allegation that an impounded sports utility vehicle imported into the country with fake documents belonged to him.

Senate President Bukola Saraki

The Nigerian senate is to investigate its president, Bukola Saraki, over an allegation that an impounded sports utility vehicle imported into the country with fake documents belonged to him.

This followed a point of order raised by Senator Ali Ndume (APC-Borno South) during plenary on Tuesday.

Ndume drew attention to a publication by an online medium, Sahara Reporters, that the impounded armoured Range Rover SUV which is said to worth N298m, belonged to Saraki and that the insistence of the Senate that the Customs boss Hameed Ali appear before it in uniform is connected to his refusal to release the vehicle which was seized on January 17.

But a media aide to Saraki, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said the senate president had nothing to do with how the SUV was imported, noting that it was the Senate that contracted out its procurement.

“A supplier was engaged by the Senate to supply a vehicle. While transferring the vehicle between Lagos and Abuja, it was impounded by the Customs,” Olaniyonu said.

“We believe that is an issue between the supplier and the Customs because the Senate has not taken delivery. So, why is somebody trying to drag in the name of Saraki into the issue?”

Ndume, however, said that it was important for the Senate to investigate the allegation in order to avoid a scandal that could soil its image and clear the perceived misconception that the Senate insisted Ali appear before it in uniform because of refusal to cooperate on the release of the SUV.

“The newspaper said the Senate is on vengeance after Nigeria Customs seized Senator Saraki’s bulletproof Range Rover over fake documents.

“My colleagues that are following events, particularly online, have seen or heard or read the rain of abuses on this Senate and the misconception of the fact that we invited the Customs boss based on a very unpopular policy that affects the people we represent, but now we are faced with this.

2 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    my lord. Nigerian’s are dying of hunger, suffering with no light, can’t get medical treatment, no education and one person in the senate is order almost a million dollar for one car. I don’t believe Nigerian’s have suffer enough. because if we have suffered enough, the people would be on the street demanding the head of any senator that spend that kind of money on one vehicle, while the whole country is starving.

  • Author’s gravatar

    N298m – WORTH OF A VEHICLE AND PEOPLE ARE DYING ABOUT HUNGER AS A RESULT OF NON PAYMENT OF SALARIES AND PENSION IN NIGERIA – IT IS PART REASON WHY NIGERIA NEEDS TO BE RESTRUCTURED SO THAT THOSE WHO CAN DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM OF CORRUPTION CAN GO AHEAD AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE CRIME AND NOT IN THE MIX-UP WHERE PEOPLE HIDE UNDER THE CLOAKS OF ETHNICITY AND CONSPIRACIES TO DEFRAUD THE COUNTRY! A car of that value for what like the house proposed for Governor Oshiomhole of Edo State – sadly ignorant people in Nigeria and nobody appears to be that concerned! Restructure Nigeria so that people will know in whose hands their DESTINY truly lies AND NOT THE KIND OF BUMBO-JUMBO GOING ON IN THE COUNTRY due to the unwholesome political alliances going on in the country! Yopu join or form political party for the derrumandering AND BOOTY SHARING NOT NECESSARILY FOR THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE!

    But where is my first comment and you are talking about FoI Bill, folks! You’re all cowards post my comment and let it stay like others!