IKE Ekweremadu, deputy senate president raises alarm over the plot by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to raid his house, plant foreign currencies, implicate him in acts of corruption and ruin his political career

DEPUTY Senate President Ike Ekweremadu on Wednesday raised alarm over alleged plans by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to storm his house, plant huge amount of money and implicate him.

According to Ekweremadu, who came under point of Order, Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rules said that the money the EFCC intends to put in his house when the anti- graft agency storms his house or one of the guests houses on Saturday, May 6,  will include British pound stilling, US dollars, Indian Rupee, South Africa rand and Malaysian Ringgit.

Meanwhile, strong indications have emerged that some elements in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, alongside some cabals in the presidency are plotting for the impeachment of Senator Ike Ekweremadu as deputy Senate President which may explain the planned raid.

The raid as gathered may not be unconnected to the role played by the South East senate caucus played in the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu over the weekend. The South East senate caucus reportedly held meeting at the residence of the deputy president of the Senate in Abuja, where decisions were taken on how to meet up with the stringent bail conditions for the IPOB leader.

In the plot to ease out Ekweremadu from the senate leadership, it was reliably gathered that there was a two-week plan starting from Sunday morning of 6th May, 2017, where his (Ekweremadu) is expected to be raided by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The aim of the raid, according to sources, was to indict and remove Ekweremadu as deputy senate president and replace him with either an APC senator from any other geo-political zone or any of defectors from the South East. The sources claimed that the EFCC will invade Senator Ekweremadu’s residence with local and international media both print and television as well as radio under the guise of whistleblowing policy with search warrant already obtained in the magistrate court. The anti-graft agency the source continued will search an apartment alleging to be one of Ekweremadu’s guest house in Enugu state or any other suitable available apartment in his senatorial district.

The EFCC, it was further alleged will claim to have received a tip off from a whistle blower from Enugu state alerting the agency of huge sums of money of different currency in the said apartment to embarrass the deputy Senate President in a bid to whip up sentiment from the public so as to perfect his impeachment.

The source claimed that during the alleged planned raid, the EFCC will claim to have discovered monies in different currencies like the British pound sterlings, US dollars, Indian rupee, South African rand and Malaysian Ringgit. Also to be part of the evidence that would be used against Ekweremadu will be documents like the 2015 campaign poster or memo or logistics, a list of names of chairmen and ward leaders as well as men and women that may have benefitted from his empowerment programme and any other document that would be used to incriminate him.

Besides, there will be a single photo portrait of the deputy senate president that will be placed in a prominent position in the apartment and ammunitions such as AK47, two pump action gun with unused gun bullet.

According to the source, after this, Ekweremadu will be invited by the anti-graft agency for questioning on what he knows about the apartment and the items purportedly discovered and thereafter, he will be arrested and detained pending the outcome of the investigation. And to ensure a successful execution of the plot, the source stated that as he is in detention, those behind the plot will sponsor some civil society organisations and non governmental organisations to stage protests in Lagos, Enugu, Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

Also some youths from his constituency would be ferried to Abuja to protest at the National Assembly gate with petitions to be given to the senate president and the clerk of the National Assembly calling for his recall. The source said while the DSP will be in EFCC custody for about three weeks, he will be charged to court as he is not covered under Section 308 of the Constitution for immunity.

The source concluded that the aim of those behind the plot was to kill the political career of Ekweremadu and to present him before the international community as a corrupt person. In the letter,  he read, the deputy senate president said that the plans of the EFCC after the raid would be to indict him, and kill his political ambition to ensure that he can no longer stand for future elections, just as to also show to the International Community and Nigeria people that he is a corrupt politician.

Ekweremadu told the Senate that the letter was written to him by a sympathetic Investigative journalist, who works under the EFCC covert intelligence spy police.

The letter titled, “Please Treat This with Utmost Secrecy by Protecting the Identity of the Source and Addressed to the Deputy Senate President, read in full, “I am a trained investigative journalist, working under the of EFCC covert intelligence spy police.

“Distinguished senator, there is a grand plan from the cabals in the presidency using EFCC as an anti-graft agency to indict and remove you from office, this( sic) cabals in the presidency has (sic) mandated the EFCC chairman to carry out this evil operation within two weeks.

“The plan and the trap goes like this. On the 6th of may Saturday night 2017 stroke Sunday morning, the EFCC alongside with local and international ,media both print and TV, Radio will raid an apartment under the guise of whistled blowing policy of the federal government with search warrant already obtained in the magistrate court to search an apartment alleging to be one of your guest house in Enugu capital state or any suitable available apartment in your senatorial district that will serve this evil purpose. EFCC is claiming to have received a tip off from a whistled blower in your state alerting the agency of a large huge Amount of money of different currency in the said apartment belonging to you senator Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy senate president of the federal Republic of Nigeria, A proceed which is likely to be illegal obtain and acquired, which constitute abuse of office with corruption.

“The things to be discovered in the said apartment are a huge amount of money with different currency, such as British pound stilling, US dollars, Indian rupee, South Africa rand, and Malaysian Ringgit.

“Documents alleging to be yours, such as 2015 campaign memo and logistic, a ‘list of names chairman local wards of party men and women that benefited from your empowerment program. And other cook documents bearing your signature. A single photo portrait of yours that will be placed in the city room with  Ammunitions such as AK 47, two pump action gun with unused gun bullet.

“Your distinguished senator will be inverted by the anti-graft agency for questioning and interrogation to shear more light of the said apartment which will leads to your arrest and detention pending the outcome of the investigation.

“While you are still in detention, well sponsor nongovernmental organisation {NGOs} will be protesting round the nation, Lagos, Enugu, Anambra,FCT Abuja, in fact. Sponsor youth in your senatorial district will come to Abuja protesting in the National Assemble gate with petitions summiting one to the senate president and one to the Clark of the National Assemble recalling you.

“While protest is ongoing according to their evil plan, the EFCC after detaining you at least. three weeks, you will be charge to court since section 308 immunity clus do not applied to your office position.

“The cabals in the presidency their target is this 11 “To indict you and to kill your political ambition so that you can no longer stand for any future elections; And to show to the international community and Nigeria people that you Senator lke Ekweremadu is a corrupt politician. “I sympathize with you and God will continue to use people like us to destabilize their evil plan against you. I wish you all the best in your political journey.” – Vanguard

—  May 3, 2017 @ 18:48 GMT