After many weeks of evading the court and the law enforcement agents, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of Nigeria’s immediate past president, was today remanded in police custody on the orders of an Abuja Court.
Iyabo, who represents Ogun State, is being wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with allegation that she benefitted from the sharing of $2.5 million unspent health ministry budget over which two minsters -Adenike Grange and Gabriel Aduku, have been forced to quit.
Even with the court order, she declined interview with the EFCC. Although she pleaded not guilty to the charge, the court ruled that she be remanded until her bail application is considered on Wednesday.
Iyabo is claiming that she did nothing wrong in getting $85,000 for Nigeria’s Senate Committee on Health, which she chairs, to attend a capacity-building workshop in Ghana. She is also claiming that she is being witch hunted by the EFCC, which was set up by her father.
She has been running away from the EFCC for about a month, insisting that she is the object of attack by the anti-graft body. At a point in April, she was declared missing from the senate, as the commission began to trail her for possible arrest.
The 109-member senate has however declared that they will stand by Iyabo despite her trial by the court on the prompting of the EFCC.
Her arrest and detention is likely to send a strong message to the world that Nigeria is perhaps beginning to be serious in prosecuting the corruption war.
Obasanjo set up the anti-graft in his first term in office. Many, particularly, those who were opposed to his actions and policies, have been sent to jail by the commission in the last few years.
BBC
EFCC
Saharareporters.com
Sunnewsonline
BBC
BBC
Iyabo, who represents Ogun State, is being wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with allegation that she benefitted from the sharing of $2.5 million unspent health ministry budget over which two minsters -Adenike Grange and Gabriel Aduku, have been forced to quit.
Even with the court order, she declined interview with the EFCC. Although she pleaded not guilty to the charge, the court ruled that she be remanded until her bail application is considered on Wednesday.
Iyabo is claiming that she did nothing wrong in getting $85,000 for Nigeria’s Senate Committee on Health, which she chairs, to attend a capacity-building workshop in Ghana. She is also claiming that she is being witch hunted by the EFCC, which was set up by her father.
She has been running away from the EFCC for about a month, insisting that she is the object of attack by the anti-graft body. At a point in April, she was declared missing from the senate, as the commission began to trail her for possible arrest.
The 109-member senate has however declared that they will stand by Iyabo despite her trial by the court on the prompting of the EFCC.
Her arrest and detention is likely to send a strong message to the world that Nigeria is perhaps beginning to be serious in prosecuting the corruption war.
Obasanjo set up the anti-graft in his first term in office. Many, particularly, those who were opposed to his actions and policies, have been sent to jail by the commission in the last few years.
BBC
EFCC
Saharareporters.com
Sunnewsonline
BBC
BBC
