The controversy over who owned the $15 million allegedly received from a former governor of Delta state, James Ibori by former Chairman of the Economic and Fianancial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu has taken a new dimension as one Chibuike Achigbu who claimed to be an oil magnate filed an application at a Federal High Court Abuja saying that the money belongs to him.
In an application filed on his behalf by 10 lawyers, three of which are Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Mr Achigbu said that he gave the money to Andy Uba, a former aide to the then president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo for the purpose of financing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2007 general elections.
He said that he first sought legal advice on whether he could raise money to donate to support the PDP and its candidates throughout the federation for the purpose of winning the 2007 general elections.
He also said that he set a target of N3 billion which he intended to raise through himself and his associates.
However, by April 2007 when the election had drawn near, he had raised money in excess of N2 billion after which he realised that such donations could only be made accetpable through a financial institution.
According to him, in order to legitimately apply the fund, he approached Mr Uba to verify with relevant agencies of government to certify that the funds were raised honestly and in good faith with a view to donating same to finance the PDP.
He said that Mr Uba advised him to deliver the fund to him (Mr Uba) for onward transmission to the EFCC being the agency of the federal government sufficiently equipped to give a clean bill of health to the fund before it could be donated to PDP.
Mr Achigbu added that after he had delivered the money to Mr Uba, he heard rumours about an attempt by Mr Ibori to bribe the chairman of the EFCC.
He said that he had nothing to do with Mr Ibori and the rumour did not strike him as having any bearing with the fund he delivered to Mr Uba for clearance by the EFCC.
He explained that due to the political ambition of Mr Uba to become the governor of Anambra State, he lost contact with him and was not able to reach him to ask for an update regarding the fund.
Mr Achigbu also noted that Mr Uba in a telephone conversation in 2008, confirmed that, as agreed, he did invite the EFCC to take custody of the purported unclaimed fund and revert on their investigations about its suitability for the purpose that the fund was intended.”
He said that he chose not to pursue the case any further because he, “took the view that god had sufficiently avenged Uba’s betrayal when his election, funded with the money, was voided by the Supreme Court less than a month into his tenure in June 2007.”
However, on the night of August 27, 2012, he received a call from Mr Uba informing him about the latest development concerning the $15 million and that the money in question was the same money he collected from him.
That Mr Uba specifically confirmed to him that it was Ibrahim Lamorde, the then Director of Operations of EFCC that was superficially instructed to receive the money from him (Mr Uba) on April 25th, 2007.
Mr Achigbu said that Mr Uba had also agreed to depose to an affidavit to own up to the facts deposed to in his application.