Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the probe of fuel subsidy mismanagement, Mr. Farouk Lawan
Embattled
lawmaker, Farouk Lawan, has finally promised to surrender the $500,000
bribe to the Special Task Force before the end of the week following
serious psychological and physical pressures mounted on him by
investigators.
It was learnt that Lawan succumbed to the
pressure mounted him by the STF Commissioner of Police, Ali Ahmodu, on
Wednesday and agreed to bring the money which he was said to have
received from Femi Otedola on April 24, 2012.
He was said to have told investigators that
he would only surrender the money before witnesses which would include
his lawyers, Mike Ozhekome (SAN) and Israel Olorundare.
Boniface Emenalo had been asked to report
on Friday, but it could not be ascertained if he would surrender his
share of the bribe on that day.
Sources told our correspondent that Lawan
cracked when he was confronted with the letter from the Chairman,
Committee on Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Adams Jagaba, who denied
knowledge of the money.
“When subjected to intense pressure by CP
Ahmadu, Lawan finally cracked and said he was tired of the drama and
stories surrounding the matter. In an agitated tone, he said he will
bring the money before weekend on the condition that there would be
witnesses there: this is the breakthrough investigators needed to
conclude the case,” a source said.
Jagaba, had in a letter to the Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, on Tuesday denied that he was in possession of the money.
He stated, “I wish to categorically and
unequivocally state that there was never a time I was in possession of
the sum of $620,000 or any other exhibit (in my personal capacity or
official capacity as Chairman, House Committee on Drugs/Narcotics and
Financial Crimes).”
Lawan had last week claimed that he had handed over the money to Jagaba.
Our correspondents could not reach Lawan on Wednesday as he did not pick calls made to his telephone sets.
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