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It seems the heat on Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of maximum ruler, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has been turned on as the EFCC yesterday made its first public statement on the raging scam involving the senator after a year and half it officially received a report to investigate the ex-president's daughter.
It seems the heat on Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of maximum ruler, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has been turned on as the EFCC yesterday made its first public statement on the raging scam involving the senator after a year and half it officially received a report to investigate the ex-president's daughter.
EFCC's statement noted that: 'The attention of the EFCC has been drawn to several media reports on allegations of a contract misadventure said to involve Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello.
It said 'the dispute was first reported to the EFCC in July 2006 via a petition from Rickey Tarfa & Co., acting on behalf of M. Scheneider (Nig.) Ltd., among which Directors, was Prince Albert Awofisayo.
'In the course of investigation, the parties to the dispute on both sides were invited and they made statements to the Commission. At the time, there was not a single mention of Senator Obasanjo-Bello by anyone. The result of EFCC's investigation was that what was reported was a case of contractual disagreement between businessmen and no crime was disclosed or unearthed.
EFCC further noted that 'the Commission consequently advised the disputants as to the nature of the matter and that it being civil in nature, they should settle between themselves. It would seem that they heeded the Commission's advice and sought local and international arbitration.
'However, virtually the same complaint, but with a new information alleging impersonation by Senator Obasanjo-Bello, has just been forwarded to the EFCC.
'Following the submission of the new petition to the Commission, the EFCC is looking into the matter with a view to determine whether a crime that falls within its purview has been committed, in which case, the Commission would take prompt action.
It said the EFCC 'observes a trend that seems to be catching on in the ranks of local and international crooks masquerading as businessmen, fraudsters and corrupt politicians to attempt to drag the Commission into politics and employ the EFCC as a blackmail weapon.
The Commission takes serious exception to despicable designs to drag it into fields well outside its mandate with the intent of making it lose focus and derail the war against economic and financial crimes.
EFCC restates that it is focused on the job to help fix Nigeria and craves the continued support of Nigerians in the arduous task, while warning that no one would be allowed to savage the Commission's hard earned reputation of integrity and professional thoroughness.