Aliyu
By agency report
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday declared Adamu Aliyu, a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Jos North-North Constituency, wanted for allegedly defrauding a businessman of N73.6 million.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order while delivering ruling on an application filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC).
Justice Nwite issued an arrest warrant and authorised the ICPC to publish a “wanted person” notice for the lawmaker in national newspapers and on social media.
The court further ordered law enforcement agents, including the police and private citizens, to arrest Aliyu and hand him over to the ICPC.
According to the ICPC, Aliyu repeatedly ignored invitations to respond to or refute the allegations against him.
It was gathered that a businessman, Mohammed Jidda, had filed a petition against the lawmaker.
Jidda had alleged that Aliyu had promised to help him secure a Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) worth N850 million at the University of Jos, which turned out to be a scam.
He said that Aliyu entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with him, under which he agreed to pay N73.6 million as an advance once a contract award letter was issued.
The businessman alleged that the MoU also stated that he would pay N52 million to Imanal Concept Ltd, a company owned by Saad Abubakar, who Mr Aliyu said is the facilitator of the contract, upon receiving the award of contract as facilitation fee.
Jidda claimed that Aliyu later handed him a document purporting to be a contract award letter from the University of Jos for the construction of an indoor sports hall under a TETFund intervention project valued at N500 million.
He said that the lawmaker supplied two bank accounts to him, including his personal account domiciled with Guaranty Trust Bank and another corporate account in the name of Imanal Concept Ltd domiciled with Zenith Bank to enable him to pay the amount.
The petitioner said that after receiving the said account details, he paid the total of N73.6 million to the bank accounts supplied by the lawmaker.
He however said that when he approached the university to begin contract documentation, he was informed that no such contract existed.
Jidda further said that the university also later confirmed in writing to the ICPC that the contract award letter was a forgery.
It was gathered that the ICPC then opened an investigation and obtained bank statements showing the flow of funds into the lawmaker’s personal and corporate accounts.
The ICPC was able to unearth the payments included N47.8 million into Mr Aliyu’s GTBank personal account, N22.4 million into Imanal Concept Ltd’s Zenith Bank account, and an additional N3.2 million transferred directly to Mr Aliyu.
It subsequently invited the lawmaker through the Clerk of the Plateau Assembly and via his WhatsApp number, where he allegedly acknowledged receiving the message.
Aliyu, however, allegedly repeatedly ignored the invitations to respond to or refute the allegations against him.
According to the anti graft agency, it also received credible intelligence that Aliyu is planning to abandon his legislative duties and flee the country to evade investigation, prompting it to approach the court.
The ICPC argued that because it lacks constitutional powers to declare a person wanted without court approval, it had to seek judicial authorisation.
The commission noted that the warrant would allow it to enlist the assistance of the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) should the lawmaker attempt to escape abroad.
The ICPC therefore prayed the court for an order to permit it to “declare the lawmaker wanted in any national newspaper, social media platforms and other mediums, for failing to honour the Commission’s invitations for investigation activities.”
It also urged the court to issue a bench/arrest warrant, directing operatives of the ICPC and other law enforcement agents including private persons to identify and arrest Mr Aliyu and hand him over for the purpose of investigation.
The lawmaker, when contacted by newsmen, however, denied the allegations, stressing that he was unaware of the ICPC’s invitation, adding that he only learned of it through the Clerk of the Plateau State House of Assembly while he was away in Saudi Arabia.
According to him, he did not defraud Jidda, and he has since refunded N45 million that entered his account through the businessman’s company, Mohiba Investment Limited.
Aliyu also denied issuing the alleged forged contract award letter, claiming that his role was limited to only delivering the letter to Jidda.
Documents seen indicate that Aliyu’s lawyers, Adams & Co Firstlog Chambers, had on 8th September written to the ICPC claiming that the matter was already before a civil court.
They also claimed that the matter was a dispute over “consultancy services/facilitation of contract award” and not a criminal matter.
