Former Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki
Former Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki has obtained an injunction from High Court in Abuja restraining the police from arresting him over an alleged N11bn loan.
Saraki was invited on Friday by the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Police but pleaded for an extension of time till Monday before showing up on the grounds that he had to attend a funeral ceremony.
However on Monday, the member of the National Assembly refused to show up only to obtain an injunction on Tuesday.
In a statement by his media aide, Mr. Akintoba Fatigun, Saraki admitted that he was invited by the SFU.
The statement read in part, “Saraki has obtained an interim injunction restraining the Inspector-General of Police, his officers and agents from threatening to arrest him or infringe on his rights pending the determination of the substantive suit on Thursday, 26th May 2012.
“The motion of notice, was filed in Federal High Court 4, Abuja by his lawyer, Lawal Raban, and was served and duly received by the Commissioner of Police, Legal.
“As a law-abiding citizen, Senator Saraki has decided to seek legal redress to put a stop to what appears an orchestrated frenzy calculated at smearing his name, assaulting his dignity and intimidating his person through deliberately garbled accounts and serial leaks concerning loans granted to a company that he has no relationship with.”
The SFU had alleged that a group of companies — Joy Petroleum Limited, Skyview Properties Limited, Dicetrade, and Limkers Nigeria Limited — were given loans by the bank under the management of former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank, Mr. Erastus Akingbola.
The loans were allegedly promoted by Saraki between 2004 and 2009 when he was governor.
The SFU alleged that the loans/facilities worth billions of naira were used to purchase shares in some companies and properties in Lagos and Abuja, some of which were used to secure the loans.
However, Akingbola’s successor following the shake up by the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Mahmood Alabi, granted a waiver of N9,97bn, representing about 82 per cent of N11.97bn indebtedness.
Also, the landed properties worth billions of naira used to secure the loans were curiously released after payment of only N2.3bn out of the N11.97bn jointly owed the bank by the companies.
Last week, Alabi was arrested by the SFU and later released on bail after interrogation.
The Commissioner of Police, SFU, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, told our correspondent that the SFU would move to vacate Saraki’s injunction.
He said Saraki had only been invited to answer allegations and was not being prosecuted.
Hello Friends!
Former Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki has obtained an injunction from High Court in Abuja restraining the police from arresting him over an alleged N11bn loan.
Saraki was invited on Friday by the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Police but pleaded for an extension of time till Monday before showing up on the grounds that he had to attend a funeral ceremony.
However on Monday, the member of the National Assembly refused to show up only to obtain an injunction on Tuesday.
In a statement by his media aide, Mr. Akintoba Fatigun, Saraki admitted that he was invited by the SFU.
The statement read in part, “Saraki has obtained an interim injunction restraining the Inspector-General of Police, his officers and agents from threatening to arrest him or infringe on his rights pending the determination of the substantive suit on Thursday, 26th May 2012.
“The motion of notice, was filed in Federal High Court 4, Abuja by his lawyer, Lawal Raban, and was served and duly received by the Commissioner of Police, Legal.
“As a law-abiding citizen, Senator Saraki has decided to seek legal redress to put a stop to what appears an orchestrated frenzy calculated at smearing his name, assaulting his dignity and intimidating his person through deliberately garbled accounts and serial leaks concerning loans granted to a company that he has no relationship with.”
The SFU had alleged that a group of companies — Joy Petroleum Limited, Skyview Properties Limited, Dicetrade, and Limkers Nigeria Limited — were given loans by the bank under the management of former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank, Mr. Erastus Akingbola.
The loans were allegedly promoted by Saraki between 2004 and 2009 when he was governor.
The SFU alleged that the loans/facilities worth billions of naira were used to purchase shares in some companies and properties in Lagos and Abuja, some of which were used to secure the loans.
However, Akingbola’s successor following the shake up by the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Mahmood Alabi, granted a waiver of N9,97bn, representing about 82 per cent of N11.97bn indebtedness.
Also, the landed properties worth billions of naira used to secure the loans were curiously released after payment of only N2.3bn out of the N11.97bn jointly owed the bank by the companies.
Last week, Alabi was arrested by the SFU and later released on bail after interrogation.
The Commissioner of Police, SFU, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, told our correspondent that the SFU would move to vacate Saraki’s injunction.
He said Saraki had only been invited to answer allegations and was not being prosecuted.
Culled from The Punch.
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