Corruption claims: Keyamo drags Atiku, ICPC, EFCC, CCB to court

• Published date: 21 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, headed for the court yesterday over the recent allegations of fraud leveled against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Chief Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC PCC), wants the Federal High Court, Abuja to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to arrest/invite the former vice president for interrogation for alleged money laundering.

The minister who is relying on the public revelations of a whistleblower and former aide to Atiku, Mr. Michael Achimugu, jointly sued Atiku, the EFCC, ICPC and CCB.

His move followed the expiration of the 72-hour ultimatum he gave the anti-graft agencies to arrest, interrogate and prosecute the PDP flag bearer over the allegations.

The minister is praying the court to make a mandatory order compelling the anti-graft agencies to invite and/or arrest, investigate and (if found wanting) prosecute Atiku 'in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as 'Special Purpose Vehicles' to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.'

He is also asking for a mandatory order of the court to compel Atiku to make himself available to the anti-graft agencies 'to aid and investigate the former Vice President on information available to him in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as a 'Special Purpose Vehicles' to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.'

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Moments after filing the suit yesterday, Keyamo wrote on his Twitter handle: 'I HAVE A RICH HISTORY OF SUCH...