The embattled outgoing Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, who is fleeing from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has officially informed the Commission he will meet with it next Monday at 2pm.
As Saharareporters reported earlier today, Mr. Bankole was this morning engaged in a tense stand-off at with officials of the EFCC at his home as he refused arrest to answer money-laundering allegations.
The embattled outgoing Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, who is fleeing from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has officially informed the Commission he will meet with it next Monday at 2pm.
As Saharareporters reported earlier today, Mr. Bankole was this morning engaged in a tense stand-off at with officials of the EFCC at his home as he refused arrest to answer money-laundering allegations.
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Mr. Bankole had planned to leave for the United Kingdom on a 7a.m. flight, part of his scheme to maintain his freedom, but the EFCC investigators foiled that effort as they arrived at his official home at Apo quarters in Abuja bright and early.
In a written statement, Bankole’s spokesman, Mr. Idowu Bakare, denied that the former Speaker had planned to leave for the United Kingdom today, claiming he had instead scheduled meetings in Abuja and Lagos for the weekend as part of his valedictory activities from the House.
It is something of an irony that Bankole, Nigeria’s fourth most powerful man, has quickly become something of a fugitive in his own country. It is even more ironic because only months ago, a Wikileaks cable which reported on a meeting between Bankole and the former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Robin Sanders, said the Speaker lacked confidence in the EFCC and its chairperson, Mrs. Farida Waziri. At that meeting, on May 9, 2009, Bankole told Ms. Saunders the EFCC was not worth "one penny."
The news that Bankole will meet with the EFCC next Monday is likely to be received with cynicism by that agency’s investigators whom he has deceived twice in the past week. But SaharaReporters sources in the diplomatic community and within the government have said that there appears to be a high-level scheme to create room for the embattled speaker to escape any serious prosecution.
During today’s landmark events, the EFCC was told to leave Mr. Bankole’s residence, as part of a shady deal involving Inspector-General of Police Hafiz Ringim and the presidency. An EFCC source confirmed that Mr. Ringim told the EFCC’s operations leader at Bankole’s house he had instructions from President Jonathan to allow the speaker to complete handing over ceremonies on Monday before he can be questioned. In a bizarre and unprecedented move, the IG offered to stand surety for Mr. Bankole.
These manoeuvres may have given Bankole the confidence to promise appearance at the EFCC next Monday in the confidence he will neither be arrested nor will he be prosecuted according to the letter and spirit of the law.
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