The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo(SAN), on Friday, approached the Federal High Court in Abuja for an order to compel the arrest and prosecution of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP)Atiku Abubakar.
The move followed the expiration of the 72hour ultimatum , he gave the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) to arrest and prosecute the former Vice President over alleged corrupt practices while he was in office
A whistle blower and former aide to Atiku, Michael Achimugu had allegedly linked the presidential candidate to diversion and misappropriation of public funds between 1999 and 2007 .
Keyamo’s suit has the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB; the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC as 2nd to 4th defendants.
Keyamo, who is also the Director of Public Affairs of the Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is seeking a declaration of the court that Atiku, “is under a legal obligation to make available to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants, for the purpose of aiding their investigation, 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;
“A declaration of this Honourable Court that the 1st Defendant is under a legal obligation to submit himself to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants for a thorough investigation in connection with 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.
“A declaration of this Honourable Court that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants are under a legal obligation to invite and/or arrest, investigate and (if found wanting) prosecute the 1st Defendant in respect of the information available to the 1st Defendant 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.
“A mandatory order of this Honourable Court compelling the 1st Defendant to make available to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants, for the purpose of aiding their investigation, 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.
“A mandatory order of this Honourable Court compelling the 1st Defendant to submit himself to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants for thorough investigation in connection with 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”.
He is also seeking, “A mandatory order of this Honourable Court compelling the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants to invite and/or arrest, investigate and (if found wanting) prosecute the 1st Defendant in respect of the information available to the 1st Defendant 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”.
