By Mayowa Okekale, Abuja
Abdulmumin Jibrin, suspended member of the House of Representatives, seems to have been thrown into yet another fresh trouble, following the publication of the report of his ownership of five foreign accounts in Backlays Bank and property located at No. 81, Cotswold Gardens, London, NW2, 1PE in London.
A member of the Lower Chamber, Hon. Herman Hembe, who was referring to Jibrin in a statement made available to Journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, insisted that “there is no hiding place for criminals. He fled to UK after getting hint that anti-graft agencies in Nigeria were investigating him in order to avoid arrest and prosecution.
“Now, having realised that even in the UK the National Crime Agency and the Financial Intelligence Unit have already profiled him and may soon open a case against him; he quietly sneaked back to Nigeria.”
Hembe added that Jibrin’s days of freedom are numbered and “sooner than later, he will face the full wrath of the law.”
Recall that Jibrin had earlier said in an interview with BEN TV London not to return to the country until his safety is guaranteed, adding that the silence of President Muhammadu Buhari on the allegations of padding of the 2016 budget was sending a wrong signal to Nigerians.
Though he agreed that Buhari should not have waded into the issue at the initial stage, Jibrin said the refusal of the president to act up till now is not in the best interest of the country.
“The situation currently at hand is different from the initial stage of the crisis. The silence of the presidency is no longer sending the right message to Nigerians and the international community,” Jibrin said.
He alleged that over 2,000 “fraudulent” projects worth over N284 billion were inserted into 2016 budget, claiming that such illegality has never happened in the history of the Nigerian legislature.
Jibrin also exonerated himself from any wrongdoing in the appropriation process, saying he never abused his office or corruptly enriched himself all through the five years he spent in the green chamber.
•Abdulmumin Jibrin.
