Mention Lawmaker Financing Me, Igboho Challenges Malami

Yoruba nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, a.k.a Igboho Oosa yesterday dared the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami to mention the name of the federal lawmaker that he alleged was his major financier.

Igboho said he was a businessman and not a terrorist as alleged by the Chief Law Officer.

Igboho, who is being detained in the Republic of Benin after he was arrested on his way to Germany was responding to Malami’s statement yesterday that a federal lawmaker in the National Assembly has been identified as a major financier of Igboho’s alleged terrorist acts and that the Yoruba nation activist was operating 43 bank accounts.

The Attorney-General who made the disclosure while briefing newsmen, however declined to reveal the identity of the said lawmaker saying the information would be made public at the appropriate time.

According to him, an investigation that was carried out by a 24-member Ad-hoc Committee which was constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari, equally linked Igboho to 43 bank accounts in nine financial institutions in the country.

He said a report that was submitted to the Federal Government by the Committee which has members drawn from the Federal Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Federal Ministry of Information (MoI), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), revealed that Igboho is a Director and signatory to a company, Adesun International Concept Limited, which was registered on April 23, 2010.

The AGF, who also disclosed that he was the head of the investigative Committee, named two other persons, Oladele Oyetunji and Aderopo Adeyemo as Igboho’s co-Directors of the company.

He said: “The major financier of the fugitive and separatist was found to be a federal lawmaker in the National Assembly.

“A total sum of one hundred and twenty-seven million, one hundred and forty-five thousand Naira only (127, 145, 000. 00) was received by Igboho from his financiers between 22nd October, 2013 and 28th September, 2020 through Adesun International Concept Ltd accounts.

“A total sum of two hundred and seventy-three million, one hundred and ninety- eight thousand, two hundred Naira only (N273,198,200.00) transaction outflows was recorded from Sunday Igboho’s account between 15th March, 2013 and 11 the March, 2021.

“Investigation reveals that Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) transferred the sum of twelve million seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N12, 750,000) to Abbal Bako & Sons.

“It might be recalled that Abbal Bako & Sons and its promoter Abdullahi Umar Usman are suspects in the on-going Joint Terrorist Financing Investigation. Abdullahi Umar Usman is by way of financial transaction connected to Surajo Abubakar Muhammad (who was sentenced to life imprisonment in UAE on charges of financing terrorism [Boko Haram].

“This report shows the nexus between separatists’ agitation, terrorism financing and disruptions of peace in the country.

“The report found connections of financial transaction between Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) and some construction companies and businesses among others.

“Having received the reports, the Federal Government remains resolute in its determination to have a peaceful Nigeria.

“The Federal Government will do the needful, within the context of the legal provisions, in ensuring that the matter is given the deserved attention and those found guilty will be made to face the wrath of the law”, Malami added.

Reacting on behalf of Igboho yesterday, his counsel, Chief Yomi Aliu, SAN, in a statement challenged Malami to mention the lawmaker who sent money to Igboho for terrorist act.

The statement reads “Our attention has been drawn to a text press conference by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, wherein he fruitlessly tried to paint our client and those patronising his car trade as terrorists and/or financiers of terrorists.

“I have gone through the text. Sunday was alleged to have transferred the sum of N12.7m to Abbal Bako & Sons owned by Abdullahi Umar. Transferring money to bureau de change to buy dollars is what is done by every businessman of our client’s calibre.

“Thank God that his passports and various bills of ladings were carted away by DSS during the ungodly invasion of 1st July, 2021.

“Thus, so far there is no evidence of receipt of money from Abbal Bako & Sons or Abdullahi Umar going by the text conference. What the AGF stated are mere conjectures, not hard fact.

“Our client according to him paid Umar and not vice versa thus belying what the AGF earlier said that Chief Sunday Adeyemo is being financed by people.

“The picture the learned AGF wanted to paint is that our Client is being financed by Abdullah Umar allegedly involved in terrorists financing. Who is now financing who?

“Again, Chief Adeyemo is a car dealer trading in the name of Adesun International Concept Ltd. Does it mean that anybody buying car from him or selling car to him is a terrorist?

“Chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Igboho Oosa was not into Oodua Nation until last year. So finding over N273m turnover between October 2013 and September 2020 shows that he was not a poor man. His house invaded by DSS on 1st July 2020 is worth over N2billion!

“I challenge the AGF to mention the lawmaker that sent money to Chief Sunday Adeyemo for terrorist act whether he would not be damnified in exemplary damages for defamation.

“Up till date our client has not been prosecuted or found liable for any criminal act or terrorism.

“There is also a valid and subsisting court judgement that agitation for self determination is not an act of terrorism but fundamental human right of any citizen. Suspicion no matter how great cannot grant conviction.

“Chief Sunday Adeyemo is not a terrorist but a campaigner for self- determination”.