The militant group, NDPPVF has said its
members are workers in the oil and gas industry, stressing that they will
detonate a bomb at the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC).
NDPPVF says it will blow up the NNPC if the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrests former First Lady,
Patience Jonathan. Vanguard reports that the militant group accused the
anti-graft agency of witch-hunting the former first lady.
The group, according
to an online news portal, TheCable, advised EFCC to lift the No Debit Order
imposed on her Skye Bank accounts. The accounts contain more than $15 million,
but Jonathan’s wife has since explained that the money was meant for her
medical bills. Last week, the EFCC filed money laundering charges against
Waripamowei Dudafa, Jonathan’s special adviser on domestic affairs, whom the
former first lady directed to open the accounts Dudafa, Amajuoyi Briggs, a
lawyer; and Damola Bolodeoku, a Skye Bank official.
On Tuesday, the Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim
Magu, also told journalists that Jonathan’s wife was under investigation. But
in a statement by Parkinson George-Amabo, spokesman of NDPPVF, the group warned
Magu that investigating Patience could result into “bad blood, embarrassment
and possible unrest in the Niger Delta.” The group said it is not in support of
corruption, but against the manner in which the agency is investigating
Patience who has had an “impressive and fortuitous pedigree.” “As a matter of
fact, the EFCC has launched a criminal investigation of Mrs. Jonathan and in
the process, frozen her bank accounts domiciled with a Nigerian commercial bank
without affording her opportunity to state her own side of the matter,” the
statement read. “Nobody is above the law.
The NDPPVF does not support or
condone corruption. If Mrs. Jonathan was found to be corrupt, we shall not
hesitate to call for her prosecution. “We, however, have a grouse with the
modus operandi of Mrs. Jonathan’s investigation, given her status as the wife
of a former deputy governor, former governor, former vice-president, former
acting president and finally, former president. She is perhaps, the only
Nigerian woman – dead or alive – with such an impressive and fortuitous
pedigree; which accounts for why the EFCC needs to thread with caution.
“Recently, there have been calls on the Attorney-General of the Federation as
well as the EFCC to arrest and prosecute the former First Lady for alleged
money laundering. “We shall simultaneously bomb the 4 wings of the NNPC Towers
the day it is announced that Mrs. Patience Goodluck Jonathan has been arrestedThe
group added that before her husband emerged as vice-president in 2007, the EFCC
investigated Mrs. Jonathan and cleared of any wrongdoing.” Meanwhile, Ibrahim
Magu who is the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
has promised Patience Jonathan, that she would be investigated for the
$15,591,700 she claimed belonged to her.
The anti-graft agency had placed
restriction on the an account which the former first lady later claimed to be
hers. The Guardian reports that the account is being fingered as one of those
involved in an alleged fraud case before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos
but Mrs Jonathan’s counsel, Gboyega Oduwole has filed a case before the court,
informing that his client is unhappy with the EFCC over the recent move to
freeze the account. Amajuoyi Azubike Briggs, an ex-presidential aide; Damola
Bolodeoku, a former Skye Bank official; Pluto Property and Investment Company
Limited and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited had all been
charged to court over their individual involvement in the fraudulent activities
with companies without address. The EFCC has taken more tough moves against
Patience Jonathan by freezing her personal account with the account name:
titled ‘Patience Ibifaka Jonathan’. The former first lady has been under the
radar of the anti-graft agency for financial-corruption allegation and had
placed restrictions on account she claimed to be hers.
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