Just as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is being accused of returning 48 houses seized from former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva, the Federal Government says it wants to reopen former governor Peter Odili’s case.
Sylva is a member of the ruling APC, and was the party’s candidate in the last Bayelsa state governorship election, while Odili a member of the opposition PDP, was a governor under the party’s platform in Rivers State.
The Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), while faulting Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court for granting a perpetual injunction to a former governor of Rivers State, Chief Odili, which has scuttled the ex-governor’s prosecution, insisted that the case must be reopened.
Sagay’s insistence is coming on the heels of accusations that the EFCC has returned 48 houses said to belong to Sylva, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), seized for an alleged N19 billion fraud.
Sagay, making reference to Buba’s injunction said, “What is happening now is unconstitutional; that judgment was unconstitutional. The judge who gave that perpetual injunction did what was unconstitutional.”
A number of reports had claimed that the EFCC returned 48 houses belonging to Sylva among which are, a mansion at 3 River Niger Street, plot 3192 Cadastral zone AO, Maitama District Abuja; nine units (comprising six one bedroom and 3 two bedroom apartments) at 8 Sefadu Street Wuse zone 2, plot 262 Cadastral zone AO2, Wuse Abuja; and 2 units duplexes at 5 Oguta Street, plot 906 Cadastral zone Wuse 11 Abuja, a duplex at Plot 1271 Nike Street Cadastral zone AO5, Maitama District Abuja; a duplex at Phase 1 Unit No. 1 (Villa 1) Palm Springs Gold Estate, Cachez Turkey Projects Limited, Mpape, Abuja.
Others are, 10 units of one-room apartments at 8 Mistrata Street plot 232 Cadastral zone Wuse 11 Abuja; 5 units duplexes at Plot No 1070 Dakibiyu District Cadastral zone B10, Abuja; 16 units service apartments at Plot 1181 Thaba Tseka Crescent, Off IBB Way, Wuse 11, Abuja and 3 units of three- bedroom flats at No. 1 Mubi Close, Plot 766. Cadastral Zone A01, Garki, Abuja.
However, Sylva reacting to the reports, through his Media aide, Doifie Buokoribo, in AbujaMonday night, claimed that he has only three houses in the Federal Capital Territory and not 48 as stated in the reports.
According to him, the report is “strange, speculative and malicious”.
By Ebere Ndukwu …
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