Lawmaker linked to at least 5 active foreign accounts

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has uncovered at least five foreign bank accounts allegedly operated by ex-appropriation committee chairman, Abdulmumin

Ifeanyi Okonkwo, coordinator of NYCN disclosed this on Monday, November 5, 2016, in Abuja when he presented copies of the petition to Ossai Ossai, the House committee chairman on ethics and privileges.

The sort codes and bank accounts numbers uncovered are; Barclays Bank International Account, SC 204744 AC33471268; Barclays Bank Reserve Account, SC 204744 AC 43707164; Barclays Bank Mortgage Account, SC 204744 AC 94030664; Barclays Bank Euro Currency Account SC 204744 AC 52339433 and Barclays Bank USD currency Account, SC 204744 AC 74521222.

The petition dated November 30 and addressed to Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, the NYCN said Jibrin had opened the accounts using the address - 81 Cotswold Gardens, London, NW2 1PE.

The petition which was also sent to Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation called for a fresh investigation into Jibrin over the said findings.

Okonkwo said the fifth schedule, paragraph 3 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) prevents legislators and other public officers from operating foreign bank account. He also noted that Jibrin did not disclose the said accounts in his asset declaration form submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB)

"From the copy of the (Code of Conduct Bureau) form, it was revealed that Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin declared he owns only one house - a 4-bedroom bungalow in Kaduna which he bought in 2008 for 150 million, furniture of 2.5 million for the N150 million house, one car which he bought in the same 2008 for 15 million, while he claims in the form that he does not have any vacant undeveloped plot of land, does not own a farm, Orchard or ranch, factory or other enterprise and he also perjured in his deposition that he does not own a foreign account," Okonkwo said.

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"The same Hon. Jibrin Nigerians know in Abuja leaving in affluence is the same one creating a spartan image for himself. How fraudulent!

"Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin owns at least five accounts with Barclays Bank alone with a Euro account, Dollar account, mortgage account, reserve account and international account. All the accounts are functional and he uses them while still serving as a member of the house of representatives and have not declared their existence to the relevant authorities," he added.

Attempts to reach Jibrin via phone calls however proved abortive as the Kano state lawmaker has since departed Nigeria for the United Kingdom for 'security reasons'.