The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has seized the passport belonging to a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
The former minister, who served as the Director of Publicity of the Goodluck Jonathan during the 2015 presidential election, was arrested on Monday last week for receiving N840m.
The money, which Fani-Kayode admitted to receiving, was said to have emanated from the account of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The ex-minister had, however, insisted that he did not know that the money emanated from the CBN because he was assured by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party that the money was sourced from private individuals.
A spokesman for Fani-Kayode, Mr. Jude Ndukwe, confirmed to our correspondent that the ex-minister had submitted his passport to the EFCC.
Ndukwe said the EFCC had given the ex-minister bail conditions but had refused to release him despite meeting the conditions.
He said, “The EFCC gave him two bail conditions. The first condition was that he would hand over his passport while the second condition was for him to provide two sureties. The two sureties must be at least directors in the civil service and must have properties in AMAC (Abuja Municipal Area Council).
“Five days after meeting the conditions, the EFCC has refused to release him.”
In a related development, the EFCC has arrested a former Principal Private Secretary, to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Hassan Tukur.
Tukur, it was learnt, was arrested by operatives of the EFCC in Abuja on Monday.
It was, however, not clear as of press time, why the ex-aide was being detained.
However, Tukur had been on the radar of the EFCC for several months over the alleged $15bn arms scam.
He was said to have been given money to help negotiate a peace deal with Boko Haram during the Jonathan administration.
Meanwhile, the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Ramalan Yero, has a guest of the EFCC for the last 48 hours where he is being quizzed for allegedly receiving N700m.
Sources at the EFCC told our correspondent that Yero was being investigated for his alleged role in the $115m shared by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The money, which was handled by Fidelity Bank Plc, was said to have been used in bribing several officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.
A reliable source at the EFCC told our correspondent that Yero was still being grilled as of 8pmon Tuesday.
The source said, “He was arrested after two officials of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kaduna State implicated him. We were told that he personally handled N700m during the election. However, he said all the money was distributed to party members during the election.
“He is still in our Kano zonal office.”
All attempts to speak with the spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, proved abortive.
Punch
*Sometimes i want to believe its a witch hunt but when the person agrees to collecting the money without knowing the source,I am left but to shut up.
I dont know whether the former Minister is innocent or not,that will be left for a court to decide but what i learn from this and ask myself is ''should we pay for crimes we unconsciously commit?..He didnt know he was collecting looted money,doesnt that make him Innocent?
#justmythoughts
But why won't them grant him bail after meeting all the requirement? Nawa o
ReplyDelete*Larry was here*
All APC politicians are untouchable ......they are not corrupt at all.
DeleteIgnorant isn't an excuse in the court
Delete@ Stella, ignorance is no excuse in law.
DeleteSHARONNA
I'll continue to say it. This govt is vindictive. How come its only the PDP leaders in the previous administration that are being arrested by EFCC and accused of corruption without giving them fair hearing. So the APC leaders are innocent and without blemish kwo? They are only trying to shut and suppress FFK cos he has been very vocal against the oppostion party. But where is the true sense of democracy if a political party cannot fault or challenge the opposition party. Buhari and APC kwantinue o!
DeleteStella abeg abeg.. just leave this matter as is. They know how they play the game. He received that money into his personal account instead of the one set for the campaign, why? Leave matter biko
DeleteStella Abeg go sit down, it's a witch hunt till they arrest tinubu,amaechi,Rochas nd obasanjo etc
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to include IBB in your list.
DeleteI believe that before 2019,Nigerians will ask Buhari to resign and apologise to GEJ.
Awon Ole Buruku. They will loot Nigeria's money and still come and be running their mouths on social media so as to garner lots of supporters when they are picked.
ReplyDeleteUna never see anything. This Yero is a criminal. He did nothing in Kaduna state through out the years he spent in office
His passport was not siezed. It was submitted as one of the bail conditions.
DeleteStell you should get the Nigerian constitution and start reading it..and other trite laws too... so that you don't come leaving closing remarks that will leave people wondering if you do know the law...I believe you are a blogger. .enlighten yourself with the Nigerian laws too..cos anything you say,some individuals on this blog will just toll that path
ReplyDeleteExactly
DeleteYou mean you received 700 million without asking where it came from rather you assumed it came from private pockets. Your days shall be long in that efcc cell. Buhari no de laugh oh
ReplyDeleteBuhari 's sole aim is to silence the opposition. So that no powerful voice can criticize his govt.
ReplyDeleteMmeche gi onu nsi gi there ewu
DeleteJamisi you have spoken well. He is a democratic dictator.
Delete#FreeFFK
ReplyDeleteFFK is a threat to this rubbish government that's why they are doing everything to silence him!...
ReplyDeleteAnd to think that Amaechi is walking freely...
Stella,this is pure witch hunt!...
Stella show me who hasn't eaten money among our leaders, is it the so called Sanusi? Or you think even buhari that is corruption headmaster is not eating
ReplyDeleteThey are just trying to hunt those who enjoyed during Jonathan
Those who enjoyed? Do you think those $ is to be enjoyed? I pity for our youths who think like fools
DeleteHmmmmm.......they should free him nau since he has met his bail conditions
ReplyDeleteI really don't care if it's a witch hunt, my own is that all stolen money should be recovered and returned so that suffering Nigerians can breathe easy.How can a few people bring the country to a standstill by looting this much? Billions of dollars now seem like #1000 for 'polithiefcians". Tinubu and Co's day will come until then let the thieves caught pay for their crimes. Nigerians don't pity or ask a petty thief/armed robber questions when caught, they just carryout jungle justice,so why is that of the 'polithiefcians' different?
ReplyDeleteWhere are all the recovered billions of dollars that were stolen. Have they been accounted for? The ones that have been returned, has it been placed into effective use? APC your day of reckoning is coming.
DeleteThe arms scam is no longer 2.1 billion dollars??
ReplyDeleteIts now 15bn dollars??
😂😂😂😂
Don't mind them..
DeleteNdi asi mmuo!...
Well in business law, one is made to understand that he who buys a stolen item without knowing it was stolen is also a thief. Being ignorant about the real status of the item does not take the punishment off the buyer same also with money.
ReplyDeleteHis claim of not knowing the source of the money isn't an excuse but why detain him after meeting his bail conditions? EFCC should learn to stick to their own end of the bargain jor.
Impressive
DeleteAll I see is witch hunting.
ReplyDeleteok ooo. they should allow him to see his first son now
ReplyDeleteI keep wondering when people say "how will he say he did not know the source of the money"? Put yourself in their shoes, somebody is giving you a contract to do a job, you give him the cost and you are paid. Do you ask the person paying you where the money came from? The culpable person in such case is the one that gives the money and not the receiver.
ReplyDeleteEyaa! I can imagine the what his ex-wives will be doing and saying upon hearing of his detention. Well, to me this is just witch hunting. The money Apc take do bribery for election nko? Wia dat one come from? Abi dem no bribe ni? Biko Stella give us anada gist leave this pipo.
ReplyDeleteEFCC is now the police, court, judge. They will run to court to get injunction and when the same court give ruling, the will not obey. They are now even the prison yard. no doubt that freedom has traveled out of Nigeria and will be on exile till 3 more years, choi!!. If you talk pim! you will be EFCC's guest. alright!!!
ReplyDelete