Ex-gov Turaki’s N30b used to finance third term project
By OUR REPORTER
Monday, July 16, 2007


Close aides of the former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Saminu Turaki, have alleged that the N33 billion for which he is being detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was spent on the failed third term agenda of the Obasanjo administration.

Turaki, now a senator, was arrested along with two of his former colleagues, Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia State, and Joshua Dariye of Plateau State, by operatives of the EFCC last Wednesday and has been in detention ever since. He was accused of misappropriating and laundering public funds to the tune of N33 billion.

However, aides of the former governor told Daily Sun at the weekend that Turaki was a mere victim of some vested political interests as the amount in question was invested in the failed tenure extension bid at the instance of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said the money was taken from the Central Bank and parceled through the Inland Bank, according to the directive of those directly responsible for prosecuting the tenure extension plot.
According to him, some of the actors in the present administration, including senators and particularly the former president, were aware of how the money was spent.

“Turaki could not have stolen N33 billion. What for?” the sources queried, adding: “If he is pushed to the wall, he will be forced to open up, and everybody will know what transpired.”
The source, however, absolved President Umar Yar’Adua from having a hand in the ex-governor’s ordeal, pointing out that Turaki and Yar’Adua have had a cordial personal relationship spanning more than 30 years.

According to the aides, Turaki had met with the president shortly after the latter assumed office and both discussed for more than one hour.
“He is like a younger brother to the president,” the aide said.
Hinting that Nigerians would be shocked if the detained ex-governor was compelled to open up, the aide alleged that some of the companies being bandied by the EFCC in its case against Turaki are linked to some well-known political top shots, some of whom are major players in the current dispensation.
However, a source at the EFCC declined to comment on the matter, saying that since Turaki’s case is in the court, the ex-governor would have the opportunity to defend himself.

Meanwhile, lawyers to Turaki have condemned, in strong terms, the deliberate refusal of the EFCC to recognise and respect the existence of a subsisting order of a Federal High Court in Kano restraining it from arresting their client.
This is coming just as there were evidences of the presence of officers of the EFCC, who were said to have invaded the state, at the weekend, with a view to making further arrests of some of the aides who may be relevant to the case preferred against the erstwhile governor.

Speaking to the press in Kano, Barrister Jimoh Nureni, a senior lawyer with the firm, Ayodele ‘Gafar and Company, declared that a Federal High Court, presided by Justice Adeniyi F. A Ademola, had on July 4, 2007, in suit number FHC/K/CS/47/2007, made an interim order of injunction, directing the EFCC, its officers and agents to stay all actions relating to the case in question and to desist from harassing, interrogating and arresting the former governor, pending the hearing of the substantive motion on notice scheduled for July 25, 2007.

He regretted that despite this order and having been duly notified in a letter dated July 9, 2007, the officials of the EFCC, in the early hours of Wednesday, July 11, 2007, besieged the residence of their client, with several gun totting officers and arrested him.
He further pointed out that even at that point their client had showed the EFCC team the subsisting order of the court, but they ignored it.

He noted that already, the Chairman of the EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, may be committed for contempt of court over his violation of an order of a Federal High Court restraining him from arresting Turaki, adding that the EFCC chairman had been served in Abuja on Thursday, with the form 48, which is the notice of the consequences of a disobedience of court order.

WHAT EXACTLY NIGERIANS WANTED IS FOR TURAKI TO SAY WHERE IS THE 33 BILLION  AND IF SPENT, HOW.

IF I AM CORRECT FROM THE REPORT, HE TURAKI IS NOT DENYING THAT HE TOOK 33BILLION BUT THEN THAT HE WILL NAME NAMES OF HIS ACCOMPLICES PERHAPS INCLUDING OBJ.

SINCE HE SAID THAT YAR ADUA IS NOT ONE OF THEM AND THAT IT WAS SPENT ON 3RD TERM, THEN HE SHOULD FEEL FREE AND TELL ALL, HE MIGHT EVEN GET A PLEA BARGAINING FROM NIGERIANS AS OPPOSSED TO EFCC. ALL THOSE FACTORS MIGHT TURN OUT TO  BE A PLEA IN  MITIGATION.

AS FAR AS I CAN SEE, WHAT TURAKI IS SAYING WAS THAT HE  TOOK THE MONEY BUT HE HAS EXCUSE, COME ON LET US SEE THE EXCUSE, EVEN ORDINARY NIGERIANS WILL SYMPATHISE WITH HIM, AT LEAST WE HAVE COMMON SENSE.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WERE UP TO 33 LOCAL GOVT IN HIS STATE, IF THERE WERE, HE COULD HAVE SPEND 1 BILLION EACH TO IMPROVE THEIR LIFESTYLE. SO WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH DID THE FAILED 3RD TERM AGENDA COST AS A WHOLE, BECASUE TURAKI OWN 'DONATION OR CONTRIBUTION ' IS 33BILION, WHAT ABOUT IBORI, IGBINEDON ETC

GOD WE ASK YOU TO CATCH ALL THE OTHERS IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR POSITION, TRIBE OR RELIGION.

Why do this useless people wait till they are charged to open the can of worm? Was he as the chief executive party of the state not aware that he is responsible for the state treasury? who cares if he spend the money on 10th term? Did Anyone put a gun to his head to mismanage the funds? was he just not trying to squadere the money to lobby for a post after his regime if the 3rd term was successful in the 1st place? Now its between him and the court. All this allegation wont do him any good, he need a serious counseling from his lawyers.

Whatever he unlawfully did with the money, now is the time to face the music.

If you ask me and if the claims are indeed true, I will say no need to even bother trying
this case - na jail straight!!!!!!!!!!!!!