December 30, 2008
A source within the State Security Services has revealed desperate efforts by the top hierarchy of the agency and Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa to destroy records of the agency’s recent arrest and interrogation of Innocent Aondoakaa.
The source, who has worked for the SSS for several years, said Aondoakaa was shaken by an exclusive report by SaharaReporters on the arrest last Monday of Innocent Aondoakaa, a younger brother to the attorney general.
“The sinister deal to destroy the records is being brokered and financed by controversial businessman Jimoh Ibrahim,” our source revealed.
As SaharaReporters exclusively reported, Innocent Aondoakaa, who acts as a front to collect bribes and other extortion fees on behalf of Michael Aondoakaa, was first brought to the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday November 10 2008 where he was "coached" by EFCC officials selected by Mrs. Farida Waziri on what to tell the SSS.
SaharaReporters further confirmed from officials knowledgeable about the coaching session that Innocent was also instructed not to take his mobile phone with him to the SSS Yellow House headquarters. He subsequently handed one of his handsets to an EFCC official before he was personally driven to the SSS headquarters by one Babakura Mohammed, the head of the EFCC’s "intelligence unit," a special section created by Mrs. Waziri when she took over at the anti-corruption agency earlier this year.
Babakura Mohammed did not know that Innocent carried a second phone with him. As SaharaReporters revealed, the second handset that Mohammed hid from the EFCC "intelligence officer" was the phone that incriminated AGF Aondoakaa and Mrs. Waziri's corrupt deals that Innocent Aondoakaa has helped to coordinate.
Attorney General Aondoakaa is currently in Benue state where he claims to be attending a burial of a relative. A source close to a friend of his said Mr. Aondoakaa has used “friendly media” to deny our reports about his brother’s arrest. “He is worried that the denials may be thin. He knows that the SSS officers who interrogated his brother – and uncovered evidence of his shake-down role for the Minister and Mrs. Waziri have been talking to you,” said the source.
SaharaReporters has detailed numerous scams and shady deals involving Mr. Aondoakaa, but Umaru Yar’adua had been reluctant to act until Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State petitioned about the AG’s attempt to extort $5 million from his government. The SSS moved in to investigate this and that was when Innocent Aondoakaa was pulled in.
Two sources, one close to former Governor Peter Odili, the other a senior SSS official, have disclosed to SaharaReporters that Mr. Aondoakaa and Mrs. Waziri collected $2 million from Peter Odili, the former governor of Rivers State. The pay-off to the AGF and EFCC chairman was a fee to "kill the case against Odili," said the SSS source.
Odili was a two-term governor of the oil-rich Rivers State. EFCC officials dsecribe him as "one of the most corrupt politicians in Nigeria's history."
The EFCC received a huge number of petitions detailing Odili's massive corruption. One EFCC source told SaharaReporters that, during most of his eight years in office, Odili funneled huge sums to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the ex-president's close confidantes. He also gave a monthly "fee" of N50 million to Mr. Tony Anenih, former chairman of the ruling party's board of trustees. Mr. Anenih also collected a similar amount each month from former Governor Lucky Igbinedion of Edo State.
Our sources said that, in exchange for the $2 million from Odili, Aondoakaa and Waziri agreed that the EFCC should not mount a rigorous appeal against a bizarre perpetual injunction the former governor obtained from a Federal judge in Port Harcourt prohibiting his arrest or investigation for corruption.
After collecting the pay-off, Mr. Aondoakaa attended Odili's extravagant birthday as a "Guest of Honor." He later explained to friends that the opulent birthday bash was a reconnaissance to recruit politicians to support Yar'adua's second term run in 2011.
However, a source close to the Presidency told SaharaReporters that Yar’adua is also rattled by our reports that have revealed the extensive corrupt acts of the attorney general, including his efforts to bribe the Supreme Court justices hearing an appeal against the verdict of the presidential election tribunal that upheld Yar'adua’s fraudulent election.
“I can tell you that the SSS has received directives from Aso Rock not to take any further actions on Innocent Aondoakaa,” said the source, noting that Yar’adua still counts on the attorney general to anchor the project of compromising Supreme Court justices. “The president is appalled at Chief Aondoakaa’s embarrassing deals, but he is also cautious that Aondoakaa might spill the beans if the SSS moves aggressively against his brother,” said the source.
The source, who has worked for the SSS for several years, said Aondoakaa was shaken by an exclusive report by SaharaReporters on the arrest last Monday of Innocent Aondoakaa, a younger brother to the attorney general.
“The sinister deal to destroy the records is being brokered and financed by controversial businessman Jimoh Ibrahim,” our source revealed.
As SaharaReporters exclusively reported, Innocent Aondoakaa, who acts as a front to collect bribes and other extortion fees on behalf of Michael Aondoakaa, was first brought to the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday November 10 2008 where he was "coached" by EFCC officials selected by Mrs. Farida Waziri on what to tell the SSS.
SaharaReporters further confirmed from officials knowledgeable about the coaching session that Innocent was also instructed not to take his mobile phone with him to the SSS Yellow House headquarters. He subsequently handed one of his handsets to an EFCC official before he was personally driven to the SSS headquarters by one Babakura Mohammed, the head of the EFCC’s "intelligence unit," a special section created by Mrs. Waziri when she took over at the anti-corruption agency earlier this year.
Babakura Mohammed did not know that Innocent carried a second phone with him. As SaharaReporters revealed, the second handset that Mohammed hid from the EFCC "intelligence officer" was the phone that incriminated AGF Aondoakaa and Mrs. Waziri's corrupt deals that Innocent Aondoakaa has helped to coordinate.
Attorney General Aondoakaa is currently in Benue state where he claims to be attending a burial of a relative. A source close to a friend of his said Mr. Aondoakaa has used “friendly media” to deny our reports about his brother’s arrest. “He is worried that the denials may be thin. He knows that the SSS officers who interrogated his brother – and uncovered evidence of his shake-down role for the Minister and Mrs. Waziri have been talking to you,” said the source.
SaharaReporters has detailed numerous scams and shady deals involving Mr. Aondoakaa, but Umaru Yar’adua had been reluctant to act until Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State petitioned about the AG’s attempt to extort $5 million from his government. The SSS moved in to investigate this and that was when Innocent Aondoakaa was pulled in.
Two sources, one close to former Governor Peter Odili, the other a senior SSS official, have disclosed to SaharaReporters that Mr. Aondoakaa and Mrs. Waziri collected $2 million from Peter Odili, the former governor of Rivers State. The pay-off to the AGF and EFCC chairman was a fee to "kill the case against Odili," said the SSS source.
Odili was a two-term governor of the oil-rich Rivers State. EFCC officials dsecribe him as "one of the most corrupt politicians in Nigeria's history."
The EFCC received a huge number of petitions detailing Odili's massive corruption. One EFCC source told SaharaReporters that, during most of his eight years in office, Odili funneled huge sums to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the ex-president's close confidantes. He also gave a monthly "fee" of N50 million to Mr. Tony Anenih, former chairman of the ruling party's board of trustees. Mr. Anenih also collected a similar amount each month from former Governor Lucky Igbinedion of Edo State.
Our sources said that, in exchange for the $2 million from Odili, Aondoakaa and Waziri agreed that the EFCC should not mount a rigorous appeal against a bizarre perpetual injunction the former governor obtained from a Federal judge in Port Harcourt prohibiting his arrest or investigation for corruption.
After collecting the pay-off, Mr. Aondoakaa attended Odili's extravagant birthday as a "Guest of Honor." He later explained to friends that the opulent birthday bash was a reconnaissance to recruit politicians to support Yar'adua's second term run in 2011.
However, a source close to the Presidency told SaharaReporters that Yar’adua is also rattled by our reports that have revealed the extensive corrupt acts of the attorney general, including his efforts to bribe the Supreme Court justices hearing an appeal against the verdict of the presidential election tribunal that upheld Yar'adua’s fraudulent election.
“I can tell you that the SSS has received directives from Aso Rock not to take any further actions on Innocent Aondoakaa,” said the source, noting that Yar’adua still counts on the attorney general to anchor the project of compromising Supreme Court justices. “The president is appalled at Chief Aondoakaa’s embarrassing deals, but he is also cautious that Aondoakaa might spill the beans if the SSS moves aggressively against his brother,” said the source.
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