Minister of State for Labour and Employment and Spokesperson of the ruling APC PCC, Festus Keyamo has made good his threats to drag a former Vice President and opposition PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar over his complicity in SPV saga.
In a writ of summons deposed at the Federal High Court, Abuja Keyamo who called for invitation/arrest and investigation of Atiku on the saga listed the former VP; Code of Conduct Bureau CCB; Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences ICPC and Economy and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC as respondents in the suit.
The statement of claim as filed in the summons include:
“The Plaintiff is a Nigerian citizen, legal practitioner, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, (UK) and a member of the Inner Bar (a Senior Advocate of Nigeria), who has spent the 30 years of his legal practice fighting for the rights of the downtrodden and the development of constitutional democracy in Nigeria.
“The Plaintiff was also a private prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and in that capacity, he prosecuted several Politically Exposed Persons on behalf of the Commission. He has also handled several constitutional and landmark cases in almost all branches of the legal profession, and many on pro bono basis.
“The Plaintiff has also served in various public offices including serving as a Director of the Board of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and currently the Honourable Minister of State for Labour and Employment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Plaintiff is also a politician and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in which he has held several offices including Director of Strategic Communications and Spokesperson for the second term campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari. And currently serves as the Director of Public Affairs and Chief Spokesperson for the Tinubu-Shettima 2023 APC Presidential Election Campaign Council.
“That the 1st Defendant is a Nigerian Citizen, and politician who held public office as the Vice President of Nigeria, from 1999 to 2007 and is also the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria.
“That the 2nd Defendant is a statutory body responsible for investigating complaints against public officers for breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers.
“That the 3rd Defendant is a statutory body responsible for investigating complaints of corruption by public servants and for breaches of the provisions of its enabling Act.
“That the 4th Defendant is a Statutory Body responsible for investigating complaints of money laundering and other financial crimes as well as perceived breaches of the provisions of its enabling Act.
“The Plaintiff avers that on or about the 2nd of December, 2022, a certain whistleblower known as Michael Achimugu went public and gave graphic accounts of certain events that transpired between him and the 1st Defendant.
“The Plaintiff avers that the said Michael Achimugu then made available to the public a Certified True Copy of an affidavit to which he swore capturing those events. The said Affidavit of Michael Achimugu which was deposed on the 2nd of December, 2022 is hereby pleaded and shall be relied upon at the trial of this suit.
“That the Plaintiff avers that he obtained the Certified True Copy of the said Affidavit and the following are the contents:”
Following this, Keyamo made declaration which include:
DECLARATION of this Honourable Court that the 1st Defendant is under a legal obligation to make available to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants, for the purpose of aiding their investigation, information available to him in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as a “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.
2. A DECLARATION of this Honourable Court that the 1st Defendant is under a legal obligation to submit himself to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants for thorough investigation in connection with information available to him in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as a “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.
3. A DECLARATION of this Honourable Court that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants are under a legal obligation to invite and/or arrest, investigate and (if found wanting) prosecute the 1st Defendant in respect of information available to the 1st Defendant in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.
4. A MANDATORY ORDER of this Honourable Court compelling the 1st Defendant to make available to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants, for the purpose of aiding their investigation, information available to him in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as a “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.
5. A MANDATORY ORDER of this Honourable Court compelling the 1st Defendant to submit himself to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants for thorough investigation in connection with information available to him in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as a “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.
6. A MANDATORY ORDER of this Honourable Court compelling the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants to invite and/or arrest, investigate and (if found wanting) prosecute the 1st Defendant in respect of information available to the 1st Defendant in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.
7. SUCH FURTHER ORDER OR OTHER ORDERS that this Honourable Court may make in the circumstance of this case.
Recall that Keyamo had threatened after the revelation by the whistleblower a court action against Atiku and other defendants.
