Browsing: Olanrewaju Suraju

The bank in its engagement with some Civil Society Organizations regarding the planned $800 million loan to the Nigerian Government from the World Bank is subject to the approval of the National Assembly of Nigeria before its disbursement will take effect. HEDA argues that the loan represents an indebtedness trap agenda for Nigeria and condemns the World Bank’s approach to addressing poverty alleviation.

Recall that on Monday, March 28, 2022, five armed men armed invaded the home of Suraju and carted away belongings such as: car, phones, laptops, jewelry, bank tokens, documents, and other valuables, after disabling security equipment in his house, gaining access to his gadgets, threatening to kill him and physically assaulting him and his wife, both of whom had to be later hospitalized.

In a statement signed by the Chairman of HEDA, Olanrewaju Suraju, co-founder of Corner House, Nick Hildyard, and Programme Director of RE: COMMON, Antonio Tricarico, the groups said in order to guarantee confidence in the outcome of the inquiry, a thoroughgoing, independent investigation into the alleged fraud should be set up, hence it’s unwise for one to investigate oneself. 

Former Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke, one of those accused of and charged with fraud in the OPL245 scam, also referred to as Malabu scandal, had petitioned the police, accusing those behind petitions resulting his prosecution for corruption and money laundering of circulating fabricated evidence against him to unduly incriminate him in the multi-million dollars scandal.

In a letter addressed to the President, the world’s leading anti-corruption coalition expressed deep concern that the political interference in the operation of the EFCC and inability of the Nigerian authorities to release the report was partly responsible for the recent drop in Nigeria’s anti-corruption rating by Transparency International.