Details of Statements::
1; Ribadu’s Nigerian statement: My name is Nuhu Ribadu and I am Chairman of Economic and Fiancial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of Nigeria. Sometime within the month of April 2007 Mr. James Ibori, the former Governor of Delta State and as at that time being investigated for corruption and money laundering, informed me that he had fifteen million dollars for us (the efcc) to collect. He said that it can be collected at Dr. Andy Uba’s residence , Aso Villa, Abuja. I therefore requested the Director of Operations of EFCC Mr. Ibrahiom Lamorde to first arrange in the Central Bank of Nigeria for safe keeping of the money and proceed inform his officer to receive the money.
The money was collected in my presence at Dr. Andy Uba’s house on the 26/4/07 Lamorde and his officers and deposited in the CBN Abuja branch on the same day.
Witnessed by me: Bello Yahaya, 12/12/07
Recorded by me: Nuhu Ribadu
2; From Ribadu’s London statement of August 26, 2009:
On the day that James said that he was going to give me the money, I told my colleagues and we went to Andy Uba’s house. My staff on that occasion would have included EFCC Head of Operations, Ibrahim Lamorde and EFCC Head of Unit and EFCC Officer James Garba. James (Ibori) was there and his servant or driver brought out the money from the house, in two (2) massive sacks containing U.S. $100 dollar bills. My staff took possession of the money. This took place outside the house, but inside the compound surrounding the house. I told my staff to take the money to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directly that same afternoon, where it was counted and lodged as an exhibit. The total amount that James gave me was exactly U.S. $15 million.
Eluemunor’s comment: Please note that the money was not waiting in Andy Uba’s house, but this would be contradicted by the statements below, especially James Garba’s which is well detailed. Then please note again that even though Ribadu told the London court on Thursday and Friday that the money was contained in one bag, his statement of August 26, 2009 claimed that the money was contained in two bags.
3; Lamorde’s statement
My name is Ibrahim Lamorde. I am the Director of Operations of the EFCC. On the 25th of April 2007, the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr, Nuhu Ribadu (omission) me that there was the sum of $15 million “USD” in cash given to him and the commission by Mr. James Ibori, the Governor of Delta State. He explained further that the money was in Dr. Andy Uba’s residence in the Villa area. He directed that I should make arrangement to collect the money and deposit same with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Garki. I gave the letter to Mr. James Garba a CBN staff currently on secondment to the EFCC and requested him to proceed to the CBN. He came back and informed me that the money will (sic) the following day 26-04-07.
On the said 26-04-07, myself and Mr. James Garba, accompanied by Police escort proceeded to Mr. Uba’s residence. We collected the money (US$15 million) and immediately proceeded to CBN where we deposited same. The receipt of the money was duly acknowledged by the CBN.
Witnessed by me, Bello Yayaha; 12/12/07
Recorded by me Ibrahim Lamorde 12-12-07.
(Tony’s Comment: So, Ribadu and Ibori were not there when the money was collected, going by Lamorde’s statement – as the money had already been deposited in Uba’s house).
4rd statement: From James Garba
I James Garba, was born on June 29, 1963, to the family of Mr and Mrs. Garba Abrilioyu in Lassa Askia Ufa Local Government Area of Bornu State, Nigeria. I completed my Primary School in Minna Niger state in 1977 from where I proceeded to Government Science Teachers College, Wushishi, where I graduated in 1982. I secured admission into Bayero University Kano where I graduated in B.Sc. (Hons) in Accounting in 1987. I completed my NYSC in 1988. I also completed my MBA in Banking and Finance from the University of Nigeria, Enugu campus, 1998. I also obtained some professional qualifications in Accounting, Credit Administration, Fraud Examination, Management and Human Resources.
I started my working experience with the CBN on February 21 1989, as a Senior Supervisor from where I rose to the status of Senior Bank Examiner, the position I occupy presently. I worked in various departments of the bank.
I worked in different offices of the bank, including central Accounts, Statistics and Evaluation, Administration, Banking Treasury, etc. My duty in the bank since 1998 is the Supervision of Banks and other Financial Institutions in Nigeria. It was from my current department that I was redeployed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in continuation of an investigation the bank carried out. I have been working with the EFCC since November 2004.
While with the EFCC, I was involved in the investigation of several cases involving Government, Financial Institutions and individuals. Such investigations took me to several places, including Abuja.
On April 25, 2007, while in Abuja, I was directed by the Director of Operations of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, to do a draft letter to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) requesting the bank to keep on behalf of the Commission, EFCC, USD 15million, in safe custody pending the successful completion of the investigation. He informed me that the amount was recovered from an on-going investigation, but did not disclose the specific investigation. He requested me to do the letter and participate in the deposit for the Commission because he knew I was from the CBN and could facilitate the deposit.
I prepared the letter for his signature, in the mid (sic) of some other schedules on that April 25, 2007, but could not make the deposit that day because it was already late to do so. He did not disclose to me where the money was kept, or the person from where (sic) we were to collect the money on that April 25, 2007. I later called the head of the currency office of the CBN branch in Abuja and informed him that we would be bringing some amounts for safe keeping with the bank. The next day being April 26, 2007, at about 10.00 hours, the Director of Operations of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde directed that I should follow him to go and pick the USD 15 million and deposit same with CBN as earlier said. We were then at the Asokoro office of the EFCC at No1 Justice Mohammed Bello Street, off Jose Marti street, Asokoro. He called and armed Mobile Policeman and his official driver drove him, the MOPOL and I to the Aso Villa.
While in the car at Aso Villa, he informed us that the driver should drive us to Mr. Andy Uba’s house, near the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit office, to pick the money and take same to the CBN for safe keeping. Another vehicle with armed policemen followed us for security reasons.
Mr. Lamorde did not disclose where the money was kept for security reasons. The security men at Mr. Andy Uba’s house allowed the Directors car to enter the compound after consulting with the occupants, we entered the compound but did not enter the house. In the compound, I saw Mr. Andy Uba and he directed some men to carry a brownish long bag, very heavy, into the booth of the Directors car- an Avensis car. Mr Uba was worried if the vehicle could carry the long and heavy bag. This happened after Mr. Uba and Mr. Lamorde exchanged greetings on our arrival to Mr. Uba’s house.
Immediately the Director’s car was loaded with the heavy bag, our convoy drove straight to the CBN branch, near the Security and Minting Company in Abuja. Mr. Lamorde and I went into the CBN, met with the Head of Currency Office, Mr. M.M El-Yakub, who took us to the office of the branch controller. It was there we submitted the Commission’s letter to the Branch Controller and it was received. The branch Controller gave the go-ahead to receive the deposit on behalf of the Commission. The Head of the Currency Office (words unclear) and the staff of the Treasury office who help (sic) us carry the heavy and long bag into the treasury. It was then that the bag was opened and I saw lots of USD, majority of the US dollars were in 100 dollar bills with very few in 20 dollar bills.
Mr. El’Yakub, his Treasury Manager and some Treasury staff counted the money in our presence, staked (sic) them into aluminium boxes and wired the boxes, and kept them in a corner of one of the strong room (sic) underground. Mr. El’Yakub of the CBN acknowledged our letter that “US$ 15 million received today into strong room one, for safe keeping”. Mr. Lamorde, Mr. El’Yakub and I left the underground strongroom/treasury, after a search on us. Mr. Lamorde and our convoy left the CBN to continue with our various assignments thereafter.
Witnessed by me: Bello Yahaya, 12/12/2007
Recorded by: James Garba 12/12/2007
Tony Eluemunor’s comment:
Then if we consider the other versions of the same bribe allegation contained in two books, the contradictions become more glaring: First, from Olusegun Adeniyi’s memoir on the late President Yar’Adua presidency. He quoted Ribadu thus: “Before the end of (Ibori’s) term, we met at one of his friend’s house in Abuja. I had brought several of my colleagues from the EFCC. They witnessed Ibori handing over to me a bag containing $15m in cash, as a pay off which I pretended to treat as restitution for the monies he stole from his state (My Story, page 124)”.
But from another book, duly authorized by Ribadu, comes this: “Ribadu claimed that Ibori brought along a bribe of $15m in cash, ‘in two bags’ (yes, the author actually put that in quotes as can be verified from the book), “Ribadu then called Ibrahim Lamorde, Ibrahim Magu and five other officers through the mobile phone to come to Uba’s house to pick up the bribe. Lamorde and his team took the two bags containing the money and drove straight to the Central Bank of Nigeria, to keep as exhibit” from “A Paradise of Maggots”. Two books, two versions of the EFCC operatives present when the alleged bribery was given, and two versions of the number of bags, and as we shall see when we consider police statements, two versions of the day the alleged bribe was given and when it left Uba’s house for the CBN.
Tony Eluemunor’s Comments on the Contradictory Police Statements:
On the simple and hardly consequential matter of date, Ribadu wrote in the London statement that “The bribe was made on 25th April 2007”. But in his Police statement obtained by Mr. Bello Yahaya on 12/12/07, Ribadu claimed that the event occured on “26/4/07”.
Yet on the serious issue of who handed out the alleged bribe money to the EFCC, and those present at the occasion, it was contradictions galore as Ribadu himself even gave two totally different versions in his two statements. In Ribadu’s 2007 statement he said “The money was collected in my presence at Dr. Andy Ubah’s house by Lamorde and his officers”. Finish.
But in his London statement another version appears: “On that day…my staff on that occasion would have included EFCC Head of Operations, Ibrahim Lamorde and EFCC Officer James Garba, James (Ibori) was there and his servant or driver brought out the money from the house, in two (2) massive sacks containing U.S. $100 dollar bills.
The contradiction continued as Lamorde himself contradicted Ribadu in his statement taken by the same Yahaya; he said that on “25th April” Ribadu told him that “there was the sum of $15 million (USD) in cash given to him and the Commission by James Ibori (already deposited in Andy Uba’s house). Garba supported this version, saying that the money was there in Uba’s house on the 25th April 2007, and he was directed by Lamorde to collect the money and deposit at the CBN, and he allegedly wrote and Lamorde signed an authorising letter for Garba to deposit the money that same 25th April 2007. Garba in his words, explained: “but could not make the deposit that day because it was already late to do so”.
Still holding to the point that the money was already in Uba’s residence as at 25th April 2007, Lamorde stated it was on that same date that Ribadu instructed him to go to Uba’s residence for the money and “directed that I should make arrangement to collect it and deposit at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
So on the said 26 -04-07, myself and Mr. James Garba, accompanied by Police escort proceeded to Mr. Uba’s residence. We collected the money”. So, from Lamorde’s statement, even Ribadu was not there when the alleged money was collected.
On the question of whether Ibori was present when the alleged money was collected, as Ribadu claimed in his London statement, and about those who handed out the alleged money, which Ribadu claimed was brought out from Ibori’s car by either “Ibori’s servant or driver”, Garba contradicted Ribadu. Garba, said: “In the compound, I saw Mr. Andy Uba and he directed some men, to carry a brownish long bag, very heavy, into the booth of the Director’s (Lamorde) car. This happened after the Director and Uba had exchanged greetings on our arrival to Uba’s house. Immediately the car was loaded with the heavy bag and our convoy drove straight to the CBN”.
In this little narrative, Ibori who was present in Ribadu’s London statement had disappeared, and Ibori’s driver or servant who allegedly brought out the money from Ibori’s car curiously turned into “some men (not one) to carry the long heavy bag” into Lamorde’s car. So on the said 26 -04-07, myself and Mr. James Garba, accompanied by Police escort proceeded to Mr. Uba’s residence. We collected the money”. So, from Lamorde’s statement, even Ribadu was not there when the alleged money was collected.
That contradicts Ribadu’s London statement that the money was collected on 26th April 2007 from Ibori, because it was already in Andy Uba’s house, according to Garba and Lamorde and also on the weighty matter of those present when it was allegedly collected. While Ribadu had claimed that Lamorde and Garba were there “when James (Ibori) was there and his servant or driver brought out the money from the house…” yet, Lamorde was specific that “on the said 26-04-07, myself and Mr. James Garba accompanied by the Police escorts proceeded to Mr. Uba’s residence. We collected the money and immediately proceeded to the CBN”, which means that, not only was Ribadu himself not there when Lamorde and Garba collected the alleged bribe money, even Ibori and his servant or driver were not there too.
Yet Mr. Garba’s statement makes the variety of contradictions dramatic if not comical. On the third of his six-page statement, he proclaimed: “In the compound I saw Mr. Andy Uba and he directed some men to carry a brownish long bag, very heavy, into the boot of the director’s car – an Avensis car. Mr. Uba was worried if the vehicle could carry the long and heavy bag. This happened after Mr. Uba and Lamorde exchanged greetings …and the vehicle drove straight to the CBN” So Garba was so emphatic that the alleged money was contained in only one “long heavy bag” that he repeated the single number of the bag, not once but twice. Yet, Ribadu, in the published London statement had dramatized how “James (Ibori) was there and his servant or driver brought out the money from the house in two bags”.
So the James Ibori that was there in Ribadu’s London statement disappeared in Garba’s and Lamorde’s own, while Ibori’s driver or servant who was there in the London statement joined Ibori in disappearing too. This single servant or driver was replaced by the two men in Garba’s account, and while that single Ibori’s aide carried the two bag’s of Ribadu’s London Police statement, in Garba’s account two men who were Uba’s aides heaved just one mighty brown bag, instead of the two bags of Ribadu’s London statement into the booth of Larmode’s car. Then the Ibori that was directing affairs in Ribadu’s statement to the London Metropolitan Police suddenly turned the Uba that chatted with Lamorde in Garba’s statement.
If anyone could forget the exact date of an event, would it be so easy for Lamorde to forget if his former EFCC Chairman was present at Uba’s house when he would have collected the alleged money? And if that is not probable, would he say that Ribadu was not there if he was actually there? Also, why would Ribadu make so much effort to make it appear he was there, if really he was not there when such a bribe was allegedly offered the EFCC? Would Garba have mistaken Ibori’s alleged single aide for two men and also mistake the two bags Ribadu mentioned in his first London statement for a single bag? He changed the number of bags to just one in his second London statement.
Or would Ribadu have been so confused that he would mistake Andy Uba, whom Garba claimed exchanged pleasantries with Lamorde – to be Ibori? “James (Ibori) was there and his servant or driver brought out the money from the house”, Ribadu wrote in his London statement. But in his December 2007 statement, he did not mention Ibori’s presence at Andy Uba’s house when the alleged money was being collected. Also, Lamorde and Garba said categorically that Ibori was not there that day and neither was Ribadu.
The safest conjecture to make is that the four stories or statements from the three former EFCC functionaries over the same event are too contradictory to be believed by any sane person, for such devil’s brew of inconsistencies would only result from telling lies while trying to make a fiction appear as the truth. While some people may be checking out how many million dollars, made up of 100 and 20 dollar bills, it would take to fill a single Toyota Avensis booth, others would be looking forward for those who made such inconsistent statements to the Police under caution – to be placed on trial for perjury.
Now, there are other issues: Ribadu claimed in his London statement that he never questioned Ibori over the alleged bribery, because he enjoyed immunity until he left office on May 29, 2007. What he did not say was that the EFCC still did not raise that question pertaining to any bribe allegation when the investigation team visited Ibori on 4th July 2007 or even when Ibori was arrested in Nigeria and charged to Kaduna Federal High Court. In fact, up till today, the EFCC never asked Ibori about any bribery!!!!
There are other important questions; if the bribe was allegedly given on the 25th April, 2007 or the 26th April 2007 according to Ribadu’s statement in London, why were the statements of the witnesses to whom the said gratification was made namely: Mallam Nuhu Ribadu (the Executive Chairman, EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde (the Director of Operations, EFCC), James Garuba (a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria seconded to the EFCC) written on 12th December, 2007 whereas, the charges against the accused were filed at the Federal High Court, Kaduna on 11th December, 2007. That is, the statements were all written after the matter had appeared in court. So, Ibori was NEVER questioned at all about that grave allegation. Therefore, his answer is no where in any EFCC investigation file – but then Ribadu even owned up in London that the EFCC never had an investigation file on the matter!
It is difficult to understand why these statements were not made for well over a period of six months. Ibori’s legal team have argued in their brief that the statements furnished by Garuba, Lamorde, Ribadu are so contradictory, conflicting inchoate to be believed as true by the average reasonable person.
Similarly, Ribadu stated that Ibori informed him that he had money to be collected from the residence of Andy Uba. No reference was made there by the three witnesses to the words like “gratification”, “bribe” or “to influence an ongoing investigation” spoken or written by Ibori.
So Ribadu already knows that serious questions about his character and professionalism, both as a lawyer and law officer would be called to question when details of such misconduct and malicious fabrication of evidence, are made public, so he rushed out a totally new, and totally contradictory statement to the London Metropolitan Police, and published it widely too; all in an attempt to make him appear as a hero who turned down a $15 million dollars bribe.
By the way, is it conceivable that seriously speaking, that such an event would have taken place; that a bribe was actually offered to EFCC operatives in these circumstances and giver was not captured on tape in any way, afterall, he stated in London that Ibori had allegedly given him advanced notice of when and where the alleged bribe money was to be offered. Or is Ribadu telling the public that the immunity, which Ibori enjoyed in April 2007, also precluded the use of surveillance technology against him?
Could it be that Ribadu, the self-advertised super-cop never heard the word “sting-operation”? And this is a man the world has lionized, never questioning him but hanging on every word that ever dripped from his loquacious mouth? No wonder the man threw caution to the wind and began to make up tall devilish tales!
Written By Tony Eluemunor
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