Andy Uba denies ownership of $15m Ibori bribe

 A fresh
twist was on Friday added to the raging controversy over the ownership of a
controversial $15 million bribe allegedly given to a former chairman of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, by ex-governor of
Delta State, Chief James Ibori, in 2006.

Senator Andy Uba (PDP, Anambra East) on Friday denied ownership
of the controversial $15m bribe, saying he merely allowed Ibori to use his
house to deliver the money to Ribadu.

Uba had been mentioned by a businessman, Chibuike Achigbu, in an
affidavit some days ago as the receiver of the money.

Achigbu had claimed that he raised the money as campaign funds
to use in financing some Peoples Democratic Party candidates and then passed it
to Uba, who in turn gave it to the EFCC.

But Uba, who was a special assistant to ex-President Olusegun
Obasanjo on Domestic Affairs from 1999 – 2006, said in an emailed
statement by his aide, Mr. Chike Okeke, in Abuja that he gave the money to the
then EFCC Director of Operations, Ibrahim Lamorde.

Lamorde is the current EFCC chairman.

Uba said, “When I was in the Presidency, my house in the Villa
was a convenient place for many top people in Nigeria to come.

“Probably, Chief Ibori didn’t want to go to the EFCC office to
hand over the money and so decided to use my house.

“All I know about this matter is that Chief James Ibori brought
some money to the then EFCC chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

“The details of the transaction were undisclosed to me at the time.
The money was handed to Mallam Nuhu Ribadu who invited his then Director of
Operations, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, to fetch it.

“I was never a party to the transaction between Ibori and
Ribadu. That my house was used as the venue for the transaction is not in
question as an affidavit to that effect has been sworn to by the current EFCC
chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, which is probably the point of confusion.

“I hereby state unequivocally that I have no involvement in this
matter beyond that stated above.

“So, I’m not involved and will not be involved in this matter.
Nobody should drag me into it please.”

The sum, which Ibori allegedly offered the EFCC as bribe to
compromise its investigations by the anti-graft agency, has been kept in the
strong room of the Central Bank of Nigeria as an unclaimed property since
August 2007.

Following an exparte motion by the EFCC, an Abuja Federal High
Court on July 25, 2012, granted an interim order forfeiting the $15m to the
Federal Government.

The court, presided by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, ordered that if
nobody steps forward to claim the money within 14 days, it would be finally
forfeited to the Federal Government when the motion on notice for final
forfeiture comes up for hearing on September 17, 2007.

Since the court granted the interim order, some stakeholders in
Delta State had been arguing that the money should be handed over to the state,
which Ibori governed between 1999 and 2007.

The Delta State Government had claimed that the money rightly
belonged to it and that the court should order its return to its treasury.

It made the claim in an application filed by the
Attorney-general of Delta State and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Charles
Ajuyah (SAN).

In the application dated August 10, Delta State Government
averred that the money in dispute was offered by Ibori while he was in office
as governor of the state.

In a 35-point affidavit in support of the application, Delta
State said that the release of the money would facilitate the current
developmental projects in the state.

The affidavit deposed to by one Nikiru Bridget Emakpor, a legal
officer in the Ministry of Justice asserted that Ibori was a governor of the
state between May 29, 1999 and May 29, 2007, the period the money in dispute
was alleged offered by Ibori.

On that basis, the state said that the $15M was the exclusive
property of the state and is entitled to collect it as the bona fide owner.

The affidavit averred that any money, asset or property
recovered from Ibori rightly belonged to Delta State and that same should be
returned to it as it has always maintained its entitlement to any asset
recovered from Ibori.

The deponent said that any denial by Ibori in respect of the
money cannot affect entitlement of the state to the amount.

The affidavit also indicated that the state did not formally
apply for payment of the money in view of the pending appeals to the Supreme
Court and the court of Appeal because it did not want to prejudice the appeal
cases.

The deponent further claimed that all monies, assets and properties
recovered from Mr. Joshua Dariye, former Governor of Plateau State were
returned to the Plateau State just like those recovered from Chief Diepreye
Alamieyesigha of Bayelsa were returned to Bayelsa State.

It was further contended that there should be no legal basis to
treat the case of Delta State any different from others and that it is in the
interest of justice that the money should be released to Delta.