Date: 2012-05-31

Former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, who is being investigated for alleged N21 billion scam involving Intercontinental Bank, has been accused of waging a media war against the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police and its boss, Tunde Ogunsakin, a Commissioner of Police.

Saraki serially refused to honour several invitations by the anti-fraud unit before finally surrendering himself at its Abuja office some three weeks ago, after he had been declared wanted by the Police.

Before honouring the Police invitation, Saraki had, through his media office, attempted to misinform the public that an Abuja High Court had restrained the Police from inviting, questioning or detaining him.

But the said court, headed by Justice Gladys Olotu, refuted the claims, while the SFU secured a court order through a Lagos High Court for the arrest of the former governor.

It is the belief of the Police that the elusive senator illicitly obtained a N21 billion loan from the now defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc through Joy Petroleum, a company said to be owned by his former aide, Matthew Obahor.

After Saraki's chats with SFU investigators in Lagos and Abuja, he was said to have, sensing his impending charge to court, set in motion series of smear campaigns to discredit the Unit and Ogunsakin, who was unceremoniously booted out of the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last year by the former chairman, Farida Waziri.

According to Joseph Omololu, a public affairs analyst, Saraki's well-oiled media lobby has tried in vain to explain his side to the N11b loan scam in manners that suggest that the whole issue is one big conspiracy hatched by some powerful forces to hang him. 

He said that although Saraki has consistently denied any link to Joy Petroleum – the company believed to have been used to perpetrate the fraud – his links (and perhaps culpability) to the company continue to be glaring.

"Everything written by his media lobby and the contents of his press statement deliberately ignored the facts of the case against him," Omololu noted. "They have failed to answer all relevant questions even an inexperienced investigator will ask. Again, that is expected. The whole agenda of the propaganda is to shift public attention from facts to sentiments."

He wondered why Joy Petroleum Limited is owned by Saraki's late aide; how persons directly linked to Saraki, including one Abdul Adamu, were still making transactions to and from the accounts belonging to the same company while the fellow was bedridden and even after his death; why documentations of the Bank include the wife of the former governor, Toyin Saraki, and the former Commissioner of Finance and current Governor of Kwara State, Abdufattah Ahmed?

The Police also said a loan obtained by Joy Petroleum ltd. was lumped together with Dicetrade Nigeria Ltd and Likam Ltd. (both of which Saraki has admitted having interest in) by the bank, although they were separately obtained by the companies. 

"What is the point lumping together a loan obtained by Company A with Company B if there are no established relationships?" Omololu queried. "Police also said the stock purchased by the Kwara State Ministry of Finance was used as collateral for the loan approved to Joy Petroleum Ltd. by the Bank. Neither thenKwara State Government nor any other agency has denied this."

Other allegations are that Joy Petroleum Ltd., Dicetrade Nigeria Ltd. and Likam Nig. Ltd share one registered office address: No 10, Abebe Village, Iganmu, Lagos; and operate one office address: No 30 Saka Tinubu Street, Victoria Island, Lagos (property of Saraki). 

"It also happens that No 10 Abebe close is the office of Toyin Pinheiro (SAN), Saraki's personal friend and lawyer. Police said Saraki had used his office as the Governor of Kwara State to influence the purchase of the above named companies' stock by the Kwara State Ministry of Finance and that the plaintiff, at material times (going by bank documents), was a promoter of Joy Petroleum Ltd. and on several occasions used his personal properties to guarantee loans taken by the companies including Joy Petroleum."

Saraki was then accused of commissioning several write-ups to deceive the unwary public and whip up sentiments. "It is on record that Saraki deliberately lied to the world that he has obtained an injunction against the Police, whereas no such thing exists," Omololu said, adding that Saraki has been "publicly asserting his innocence while privately lobbying the presidency, the Sultan of Sokoto and the Inspector General of Police to have the investigation killed."