Controversy persisted on Saturday over the whereabouts of the former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion. There was also anxiety over the whereabouts of Charles, Lucky’s younger brother.
Charles was said to have withdrawn from public glare in Benin City, following the court order in Abuja on Wednesday that the former governor had a case to answer over his tenure.
The whereabouts of the former governor was still shrouded in controversy despite the spirited defence made on Thursday by counsel for Igbinedion that he was not on the run.
His lawyer, Chief Richard Ahonaruogho, vehemently disputed the decision of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission to declare him wanted after he had duly honoured their invitation and announced his intention to travel abroad.
But a source claimed that EFCC operatives may have located the former governor in Morocco.
The source said the agency was still keeping details of the information for security reasons despite speculations that the former governor was in Paris, France.
“He is surely in Morocco and his choice of that country is strategic. The country shares a border with Spain, a European country and it is the only African country that is not a member of the African Union; it is third most populous Arab League country after Egypt and Sudan.
“Moreover, Nigeria has no extradition treaty with Morocco and the country cannot be expected to co-operate on the basis of an AU pact. However, the EFCC is looking into the possibility of having a warrant for his arrest executed by Interpol,” the source stated.
As one of the 186 members of Interpol, Nigeria can rely on the international body for the execution of an arrest warrant issued by the Nigeria Police or a body such as the EFCC.
Igbinedion‘s counsel on Thursday wrote a letter to the EFCC, protesting that his client was declared wanted without due process.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Edo State Command, Mr. Peter Ogboi, said though the matter was before the EFCC, the police in Edo would readily assist in arresting the formner governor.
He said the police or the citizens were empowered to arrest anybody that had been duly declared wanted.
Laying a siege to the home of the Igbinedions, he said, would be tenable if the police were sure he was at home.
But he said available reports showed that Igbinedion was not in Edo State.
The EFCC spokesman, Mr. Osita Nwajah, did not pick his call when Sunday Punch made efforts to contact him on Friday evening.
The EFCC had on Tuesday secured a court order that permitted it to arrest Igbinedion so that he could answer to 142-count charge of corrupt enrichment and money laundering.
However, some of the aides of the younger brother of the ex-governor said the man left Benin in the wake of the Abuja court order.
Charles was the Chairman of Ovia North-East Local Government during Lucky‘s tenure.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission seriously hounded him when he was chairman.
But many believe that the family‘s connection came in to save him from further harassment by the ICPC.
Charles was declared wanted in 2005 after some councillors in Ovia North East Local Government wrote a petition against him to the ICPC alleging corrput enrichment.
He was, however, let off the hook after several visits to the commission and some yet to be publicised settlement was reached.
Meanwhile, most of the residents were unexpectedly unperturbed by the news that the former governor was finally being put to trial by the EFCC.
The news about the former governor came on the heels of the offensive that the palace of the Oba of Benin launched against the ex-governor‘s father, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion.
The palace accused the business mogul of engaging in activities incompatible with his status.
However, none of the supporters or critics of the former governor have considered the action of the EFCC worth any serious attention.
Our correspondent said that there was no unusual security presence around the homes of the Igbinedions.
The residence of the former governor along Ugbor Road, his guest house at Etete and the site of his castle, also at Etete, were almost deserted, save for the presence of a few security men.
The residence of his father along Reservation Road, Benin did not betray anything unusual as visitors were seen moving in and out without hindrance.
The Edo State Government, which has blamed the former governor for the woes of the state, said it would rather concentrate on state affairs than give valuable time to commenting on the travail of the former governor.
The Special Adviser to the present Governor on Communication and Public Relations, Mr. Tony Ikpasaja, said inasmuch as there were enough reasons for the government to celebrate the impending trial of Igbinedion, it had a big task of delivering democracy dividends to the people.
He said Governor Oserheimen Osunbor would not let the liabilities he inherited from the last regime to deter him from succeeding in office.
Osunbor had two months ago raised the alarm that Igbinedion left N22bn debt and a cash at bank worth N229m.
In spite of the huge dossier the government has against Igbinedion, Ikpasaja said the government had no hand in any petition that the EFCC might have used to establish a case against Igbinedion.
The Isekhure of Benin, Chief Nosakhare Isekhure, who is a long time critic of the Igbinedions, said that though the proposed trial of Igbinedion was a welcome development, it was rather coming too late.
But he urged the anti-graft agency not to relent in bringing the ex-governor to book if found culpable.
Another former governor of the state, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, however, said the probe and trial of former public officers should not be limited to former governors and state government officials.
He said there were corrupt officials at all the tiers of government so, the EFCC should not give the impression that it was established only to fight corruption at the state level.
The former Publicity Secretary of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Mr. Godwin Erhahon, said that the case against Igbinedion justified his consistent criticism of Igbinedion‘s style of leadership.
He, however, urged the commission to extend its dragnets to other public officers that looted public treasury.
The Commissioner for Information under Igbinedion, Mr. Kingsley Osadolor, had explained that rather than incur more debts, the state government liquidated most of the loans it inherited.
He said as at the time Igbinedion left office, the government was not owing any bank loan, and it did not take any foreign loan throughout its eight-year tenure. The only liabilities, he said were in outstanding obligations to contractors, gratuities and pensions, which he said was a normal recurrent obligation of governments all over the world.
By Emmanuel Obe and Jide Babalola
The Punch
Sunday, January 13, 2008
