Jibrin faces probe over five foreign accounts

Suspended member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin, may come under fresh probe by the House after another petition against him was submitted on Monday by the Anti-corruption Unit of the National Youth Council of Nigeria.

In the fresh petition, the group provided details of five foreign bank accounts Jibrin is alleged to operate in violation of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 7 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, which “prohibits public officers from maintaining or operating accounts in any country outside Nigeria.”

The council also petitioned the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation; the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; and the CCB, demanding the prosecution of Jibrin.

The petition to the House was addressed to the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and presented to the Chairman, House Committee on Ethics/Privileges, Mr. Nicholas Ossai.

The Coordinator of the unit, Mr. Ifeanyi Okonkwo, presented the petition to Ossai at the National Assembly on Monday, just as Jibrin in a swift response, accused the NYCN of spreading “lies.”

Jibrin, a member of the All Progressives Congress from Kano State, was suspended in September after lawmakers accused him of running a “campaign of calumny” against the leadership in his N40bn budget padding allegations against four principal officers.

According to the petitioners, Jibrin allegedly opened and operated the foreign accounts while serving as a member of the House.

The address used in opening the accounts was named as 81, Cotswold Gardens, London, NW2, 1PE.

The accounts are “Barclays Bank International Account, SC 204744 AC 33471268; Barclays Bank Reserve Account, SC 204744 AC 43707164; Barclays Mortgage Account, SC 204744 AC 94030664; Barclays Bank Euro Currency Account, SC 204744 AC 52339433; and Barclays USD Currency Account, SC 204744 AC 74521222.”

In addition to the accounts, the group produced Jibrin’s asset declaration form, wherein he wrote to the CCB that he owned only one four-bedroomed bungalow in Kaduna, which he bought in 2008 at the price of N150m.

The lawmaker also filled in the form that he owned only one car, did not own a farm, undeveloped plot, ranch or factory.