Corruption Allegation: Keyamo seeks court order for Atiku’s arrest, trial

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By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, ABUJA

Following the expiration of his 72-hour ultimatum, 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.

Keyamo, in the Writ of Summons he filed before the court, insisted that the former Vice President has a case to answer in view of a recent disclosure that he had in the past, colluded to fleece the country of public funds, using what was termed as “Special Purpose Vehicles”, SPVs.

He maintained that the PDP flag-bearer ought to have been invited and quizzed by relevant security agencies, based on indicting revelations and evidence that were released by a  whistleblower, Mr Michael Achimugu.

Cited as 2nd to 4th Defendants in his suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/84/2022, are the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC,   and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Specifically, Keyamo,  who is 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 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”.

As well as, “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”.

It will be recalled that Keyamo had in a letter dated January 16, demanded Atiku’s arrest, interrogation and prosecution for alleged corruption and money laundering.

He had threatened to go to court should the security agencies fail to respond to the 72-hour ultimatum.

In a statement of claim he attached to the suit, Keyamo, described himself as a member of the Inner Bar (a Senior Advocate of Nigeria), who has spent over 30 years of his legal practice “fighting for the rights of the downtrodden and the development of constitutional democracy in Nigeria”.

He told the court that he was equally EFCC’s private prosecutor that handled cases involving several  Politically Exposed Persons.

“The Plaintiff avers that on or about the 2nd of December, 2022, a certain whistleblower known as Michael Achimugu went public and gave graphic accounts of certain events that transpired between him and the 1st Defendant.

“The Plaintiff avers that the said Michael Achimugu then made available to the public a Certified True Copy of an affidavit to which he swore capturing those events. The said Affidavit of,   which was deposed on the 2nd of December, 2022 is hereby pleaded and shall be relied upon at the trial of this suit”, he added.

He told the court that despite the weight of the allegation against the 1st Defendant, he has declined to submit himself to security agencies for investigation.

“The plaintiff avers that as a result of his training and legal practice, he knows that several offences arise from the said facts as stated above and these offences include offences against the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, Money Laundering, Criminal Breach of Trust, Criminal Misappropriation and Conspiracy including criminal use of office for gratification.

“That if this honourable court does not grant the reliefs sought by the Plaintiff, a grave crime and/or infraction of our laws would have gone undetected”, the court process further read.

Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the matter to be heard.

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