The pioneer Chairman of the EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, has been listed as a key witness against a former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, who the Federal Government is attempting to repatriate from the United Kingdom to face fresh trial.
Ribadu had in an affidavit accused Ibori of giving him as much as $15million bribe in 2007 so that the EFCC boss would not initiate a case against him.
After receiving the cash, however, Ribadu entered it into evidence after which it was kept in the vault of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Ribadu had said, “Ibori approached me with $15m to stop his investigation. The money was brought in sacks. I called my people because the money was in big bags, which two people could not carry and we deposited it in the CBN as evidence against him.”
Justice Gabriel Kolawole on October 25, 2013, awarded the Federal government ownership of the $15m Ibori bribe which is the subject of legal tussle between EFCC and Delta State Government.
Justice Kolawole said that in the final analysis, “the applicant’s application to make a final forfeiture order succeeds and the said sum of $15m is hereby forfeited to the first applicant, that is, the Federal Government who shall take steps to capture it in its earnings of the Federal Government of Nigeria in its 2012/2013 fiscal year and shall administer the funds to address specific needs that will be beneficial to a greater number of the citizenry.”
When asked to react to information available to Punch that the Attorney General of the Federation had listed him among the Government’s list of witnesses against Ibori, Ribadu said, “I am not aware. But if I am asked to testify, I will.”
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