EFCC files 156-count charge against Elumelu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday filed a 156-count charge against the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Power, Mr. Ndudi Elumelu, and nine others over the alleged N5.2bn Rural Electrification Agency contract scam.
The suspects, who are in the EFCC‘s custody, our correspondents gathered, will be charged before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday(today) or Thursday.

The development came just as the commission arrested four more directors of REA — Messrs Simon Lanne, Lawrence Orekoye, Abdulsamad Jahun and Kayode Oyedeji.

Sources at the commission informed our correspondents that the suspects were arrested at the agency’s premises by EFCC operatives in the early hours of Tuesday.

According to the commission, charges against the suspects bordered on criminal conspiracy and breach of trust contrary to Section 315 of the Penal code Cap 532 LL 1990.

When contacted, the Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrests and the charges against them. He, however, declined further comments.

Elumelu’s deputy, Alhaji Mohammed Jibo, the Chairman of the Committee on Rural Development, Mr. Igwe Paulinus; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Nicholas Ugbane; the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Dr. Aliyu Abdullahi; and the Managing Director of the REA, Mr. Sam Gapke, are also in the commission’s custody over the alleged scam.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives on Tuesday said that it would not interfere with the EFCC‘s investigations of the alleged contract scam.

Reacting to the detention of Elumelu and Jibo in Abuja, the House said that it would not stop the EFCC from doing its job so long as the anti-graft agency allowed the spirit of ”rule of law, due process and fair hearing” to prevail.

The lawmakers took the decision at an executive session called by the Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Usman Nafada, who presided over plenary on Tuesday.

The Speaker, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, who had earlier attended a separate official function outside the National Assembly, later joined his colleagues at the session.

The development came as the House slated the report of the ad hoc committee on the review of Elumelu‘s power probe report for deliberation on Wednesday (today).

The Spokesman of the House, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh, told journalists after the session that lawmakers resolved not to interfere with the work of the EFCC because it was deemed to be acting within its legal powers.

He said the House viewed the current development as mere ”allegations” which he said, had not been proven.

He added that the commission‘s investigations would clear the air on whether the three lawmakers were culpable or not.

Eyiboh stated, ”Right now, they enjoy the privilege of not being guilty until proven otherwise. The EFCC, being a responsible organisation, will give them the opportunity of fair hearing.

”The EFCC is a product of an Act of Parliament; so, we cannot impede the course of justice.

”The House believes that it will allow the rule of law, fair hearing and due process to take its full course.”

He denied insinuations that a top official of the House had been implicated in the scam, insisting that no letter from the EFCC had linked the leadership with the issue.

Investigations by our correspondents showed that the debate at the executive session was heated as some members reportedly argued that the REA scam was one controversy too many for the House to bear.

It was gathered that some members had suggested that the House should intervene by referring the matter to its Committee on Ethics and Privileges for investigation, but most of the members were said to have kicked against the idea.

They recalled that the same committee had, a few months ago, treated the N2.3bn car scandal and other controversial cases and came up with reports that did not win the endorsement of all the 360 members.

“The feeling at the session was that the House should steer clear of this one, the EFCC is already on top of it, let them conclude their findings,” a source told our correspondent.

Our correspondents learnt that the chairman of an influential committee had tried without success to persuade his colleagues to sponsor a motion castigating the EFCC for its action.

Eyiboh confirmed that the House was not favourably disposed to the idea of referring the matter to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges since the EFCC was handling the matter.

The power probe report was reviewed by a seven-man panel headed by the Deputy Whip of the House, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal.

The committee was set up to review the report after the recommendations of the latter had split lawmakers.

The Elumelu-led committee had investigated the $16bn allegedly spent on the power sector by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

However, it was gathered on Tuesday that the Tambuwal panel might have dropped over 90 per cent of the recommendations of the committee.