A former Governor of Kwara State and senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Monday failed to honour the invitation by the Police Special Fraud Unit, Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos over his alleged role in a N11 billion loan scam.
In a statement on April 20, 2012, the spokesperson of the SFU, Ngozi Isintume, said the unit had invited Saraki over his alleged role in a N9.97 billion waiver granted companies in which the former governor had interest by Intercontinental Bank.
Isintume, however, on Monday said Saraki did not honour the invitation by the SFU.
“We did not see him on Monday. You know through our release last week that he was invited but the week has just started and we are still expecting him,” Isintume said.
The police in the statement said Saraki allegedly used his position as governor in 2010 to get for his companies “a controversial waiver of N9.97 billion, representing about 82% of N11.97 billion indebtedness granted some companies in February, 2010 by the board of the now defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc under the management of Mahmood Lai Alabi then as the MD/CEO of the bank.
“The companies that jointly incurred this indebtedness were Joy Petroleum Limited, Skyview Properties Ltd, Dicetrade, and Limkers Nigeria Ltd. The debts originated from several loans/facilities worth billions of Naira granted the companies, which were allegedly promoted by Senator (Dr.) Bukola Saraki between 2004 and 2009 when he was the Governor of Kwara State.”
The statement added: “The billions of Naira loans/facilities were used to purchase shares of blue chip companies and choice landed properties in Lagos and Abuja. Some of the landed properties worth billions of naira used to secure the loans were curiously released after payment of only N2.3 billion out of the N11.97 billion jointly owed the bank by the companies.”