October 4, 2008
SaharaReporters, New York
As the extensive looting of the Rivers State treasury continues, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has ordered the freezing of two accounts belonging to the state government at the Zenith bank in Port Harcourt.
The Chief of Staff to the governor, Nyeson Wike, in connivance with Zenith Bank officials at the Azikiwe Road branch, opened one of the accounts (Number
601-091-6587) on March 27th 2008 with the fictitious name, "Harrison Ba Princewill." The fictitious account was being run by Wike on behalf of Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
SaharaReporters investigators noted that when it was opened, the account lacked such required information as passport photographs and information about the next of kin of "Harrison B. Princewill". However, the account was fully active and enjoying daily inflows of cash such that by April 26 2008, that is, within one month, it had already been credited with N3.6 billion ($30 million).
As the money swelled in Zenith bank, officials notified Wike that the account was being monitored for suspicious activities. On June 5th 2008, Mr. Wike colluded with a Zenith bank staff named "Mohammed" to change the account details and convert it to a "Government House Account". "Harrison Ba Princewill" then became a depositor to the new "Government House Account".
Just about the same time, another account directly controlled by Nyeson Wike (Number602...) at the same branch of Zenith Bank in Port Harcourt began to witness a flurry of activities. Between June 5 and July 3rd 2008, the sum of N223 million passed into the account from the new "Government House Account" and several illegal transfers followed afterwards.
And then, on September 5, 2008 at exactly 3:30p.m., Mr. Wike withdrew the sum of N300 million from his account at Zenith Bank, and promptly disappeared into thin air.
Governor Rotimi Amaechi was the speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly when former governor Peter Odili elevated the act of treasury looting to a state policy. During Odili’s tumultuous tenure, Amaechi was severally fingered in the massive looting of state resources as initially documented by SaharaReporters.
However, what appeared to be the persecution Amaechi suffered in the hands of his former mentor and collaborator, Odili, made the public totally forget that he was part of the pack of wolves that ran the hitherto wealthy state to a financial mess.
Amaechi now seems back with a big bang, using fronts and cronies to wreak unprecedented damage on the state treasury. The situation is so bad that even the normally flat-footed leadership of the EFCC seems unable to stomach the looting.
SaharaReporters investigations further reveal that Amaechi's extensive money laundering operations are hidden from the public eye with the veil of the "Rule of Law". Lawyers to the Rivers state government has so far stalled any attempt to investigate Rivers State officials directly, by insisting, in letters written to the EFCC, that the state officials are currently busy. They claimed in letters to the agency that Mr. Wikes was traveling, but did not disclose his destination to the EFCC. A source at the EFCC told SaharaReporters that so far, the agency has not succeeded in interrogating the suspects because Mr. Adoki Bello Mohammed (SAN), one of the lawyers to Amaechi insisted that he must accompany his clients to the EFCC at his own convenience.
Of the two Rivers state government accounts frozen last Wednesday by the EFCC, Wike had withdrawn about N400 million from the converted "Government House Account." The remainder of N3 billion remains frozen. The other account had N27 billion left in it.
As the extensive looting of the Rivers State treasury continues, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has ordered the freezing of two accounts belonging to the state government at the Zenith bank in Port Harcourt.
The Chief of Staff to the governor, Nyeson Wike, in connivance with Zenith Bank officials at the Azikiwe Road branch, opened one of the accounts (Number
601-091-6587) on March 27th 2008 with the fictitious name, "Harrison Ba Princewill." The fictitious account was being run by Wike on behalf of Governor Rotimi Amaechi.SaharaReporters investigators noted that when it was opened, the account lacked such required information as passport photographs and information about the next of kin of "Harrison B. Princewill". However, the account was fully active and enjoying daily inflows of cash such that by April 26 2008, that is, within one month, it had already been credited with N3.6 billion ($30 million).
As the money swelled in Zenith bank, officials notified Wike that the account was being monitored for suspicious activities. On June 5th 2008, Mr. Wike colluded with a Zenith bank staff named "Mohammed" to change the account details and convert it to a "Government House Account". "Harrison Ba Princewill" then became a depositor to the new "Government House Account".
Just about the same time, another account directly controlled by Nyeson Wike (Number
602...) at the same branch of Zenith Bank in Port Harcourt began to witness a flurry of activities. Between June 5 and July 3rd 2008, the sum of N223 million passed into the account from the new "Government House Account" and several illegal transfers followed afterwards. And then, on September 5, 2008 at exactly 3:30p.m., Mr. Wike withdrew the sum of N300 million from his account at Zenith Bank, and promptly disappeared into thin air.
Governor Rotimi Amaechi was the speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly when former governor Peter Odili elevated the act of treasury looting to a state policy. During Odili’s tumultuous tenure, Amaechi was severally fingered in the massive looting of state resources as initially documented by SaharaReporters.
However, what appeared to be the persecution Amaechi suffered in the hands of his former mentor and collaborator, Odili, made the public totally forget that he was part of the pack of wolves that ran the hitherto wealthy state to a financial mess.
Amaechi now seems back with a big bang, using fronts and cronies to wreak unprecedented damage on the state treasury. The situation is so bad that even the normally flat-footed leadership of the EFCC seems unable to stomach the looting.
SaharaReporters investigations further reveal that Amaechi's extensive money laundering operations are hidden from the public eye with the veil of the "Rule of Law". Lawyers to the Rivers state government has so far stalled any attempt to investigate Rivers State officials directly, by insisting, in letters written to the EFCC, that the state officials are currently busy. They claimed in letters to the agency that Mr. Wikes was traveling, but did not disclose his destination to the EFCC. A source at the EFCC told SaharaReporters that so far, the agency has not succeeded in interrogating the suspects because Mr. Adoki Bello Mohammed (SAN), one of the lawyers to Amaechi insisted that he must accompany his clients to the EFCC at his own convenience.
Of the two Rivers state government accounts frozen last Wednesday by the EFCC, Wike had withdrawn about N400 million from the converted "Government House Account." The remainder of N3 billion remains frozen. The other account had N27 billion left in it.
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