Fresh Trouble For Oshiomhole, Corruption File Found In Magu’s House, Faces Arrest

The sacked National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, may be swimming in more trouble waters, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may be dusting his corruption files, which happened to be among the ones found in the home of Ibrahim Magu, the suspended chairman of EFCC last week.

It was learnt that the new EFCC boss, Mohammed Umar, has directed preliminary investigation into all the cases contained in the files that were recovered from his predecessor’s house after a search.

Recall that the former EFCC boss was said to have been shielding some persons, especially high profile politicians, from justice, with several tactics designed to delay their trial.

Coincidentally, Oshiomhole‘s arrest may be coming at a time his friend and candidate of the APC, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, is entangled in a N700m money laundering case preferred against him EFCC.

The trial has suffered delays due to Ize-Iyamu’s absence in court, even as the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Garba, had earlier validated the charges against him.

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is the first defendant in the suit No. FHC/BE21C/ 2016 filed by the EFCC, who accused the defendants of conspiring among themselves to commit the offence in March 2015, alleging that they took possession and control of the funds without any contract award.

It should be recalled that in January this year, the President of the African Bar Association (AfBA), Mr. Hannibal Uwaifo, charged the EFCC and President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the petitions against the Oshiomhole.

“The chairman of the ruling APC, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole has a mountain of petition against him. Has he been summoned by EFCC to answer to the petitions? Is it not a stain on Mr. President to be harbouring a man on whom a petition has been written against? Those who are accusing the president of being selective also have a point.

“The petitions are many. When I visited the EFCC chairman last time, I mentioned it. If the Buhari government says they are not selective, let the EFCC start the probe of the petition against Oshiomhole, then we will know that they are very serious”, Uwaifo said in a media parley in Lagos.

Bishop Osadolor Ochei, had, on October 28, 2016, petitioned the EFCC asking the Commission to investigate some corruption allegations leveled against Oshiomhole as governor of Edo State.

Dissatisfied with EFCC’s alleged refusal to look into the case, Ochei filed the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/628/ 2018, before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order of mandamus to compel the EFCC to arrest and commence criminal proceedings against Oshiomhole over alleged financial fraud while being the governor of Edo State.

He attached 86 exhibits to his suit.

Through his lawyer, West Idahosa, the plaintiff alleged that while in office as governor, Oshiomhole acquired properties in the United States of America, South Africa and Dubai worth billions of dollars and far in excess of his legitimate income.

He alleged that Oshiomhole built a sprawling mansion worth more than N10bn in his home town, known as Iyamho, while he was in office as governor.

The plaintiff stated in his suit, “The said building was constructed by Verissimo, a South African Architectural outfit.

“The said house of the second respondent (Oshiomhole) has swimming pools, water fountains, multiple theatres for cinema and live performances, huge event halls, bridges, man-made lake, lodges of different sizes, among others.

“The said cost of building the mansion is well outside the second respondent’s legitimate income. The second respondent’s lifestyle and extent of the said property were not justified by his source of income.”

Idahosa added, among other allegations, that there was evidence of diversion of Edo State funds by Oshiomhole.

He said there were also vouchers of exorbitant air fares that the former governor allegedly incurred.

He alleged that EFCC’s refusal to act on the complaint of “weighty allegations” violated the provision of Section 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which imposes the responsibility of abolishing corrupt practices on the state.

But Oshiomhole, via a notice of preliminary objection filed before the court through his lawyer, Damien Dodo (SAN), contended that the plaintiff lacked the locus standi to institute the legal action.

He also specifically asked the court to strike out the plaintiff’s first prayer for being premature and incompetent.

On its part, the EFCC in its preliminary objection argued through its lawyer, Mrs. Best Ojukwu, maintaining that the plaintiff lacked locus standi to file the suit.

It argued that it had the discretion to decide how to use its available manpower to carry out investigations on petitions submitted to it.

While it admitted that it received the petition accusing Oshiomhole of complicity in acts of corruption, it told the court that it was not under any obligation to report or give account of its investigations to any individual or under a timeline within which to carry out its functions.

Justice Anwuli Chikere, in her judgment, struck out the case after upholding the separate notices of preliminary objection filed against the suit by Oshiomhole and the EFCC.

In her judgment, Justice Chikere held that the plaintiff, Bishop Osadolor Ochei, having failed to institute the suit within three months after his petition to the EFCC requesting an investigation into the allegations against Oshiomhole, was not acted on, the case had become “statute-barred.”