By Wale Akinola
Is a top official of the Presidential Villa, Abuja (names withheld) involved in a case of extortion lodged by some students of University of Port-Harcourt (UNIPORT) and for which two suspects are now being held by the police, or was it simply a case of impersonation?
Jonathan-hands-head
This is a puzzle for the police to resolve after the President of the National Association of Akwa Ibom State Students, (NAAKISS), Rivers State Chapter, and a law student of UNIPORT, Udo Odud Joseph, and his colleagues in the association, alleged that the top Aso Rock official’s name was used to extort them of N480,000.
The bait was the N20 million allegedly donated by President Goodluck Jonathan to NAAKISS in aid of the inauguration of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Sir Bassey Dan Abio, as the association’s Grand Patron.
Jonathan had been invited to the occasion as the Special Guest of Honour, and especially for appointing Abia, an Akwa Ibom indegene, as the NDDC chief helmsman.
The two suspects were said to have been arrested on Friday, September 19 by operatives at Asokoro Police Station, Abuja as they attempted to collect another N560,000, being the balance of the N950,000 described as public relations money to facilitate the release of the N20million allegedly donated to NAAKISS by the president, from their victims.
It was not clear if the suspects were still being kept by the police.
Sunday Vanguard also could not obtain their statements to the police.
Meanwhile, the top Aso Rock official, whose name was used in the scam, denied involvement.
A report on the alleged scam by the NAAKISS leader, Joseph, for the attention of Jonathan, was reportedly copied to the Chief Security Officer to Mr President, Mr Gordon Obua.
Obua could not be reached to comment on the matter at press time.
The report, according to a source, however, insinuated there might be an insider’s collaboration in Aso Rock in the scam, notwithstanding the top official’s denial of involvement.
The students association leader narrated their story in the 54-paragraph report made available to Sunday Vanguard.
“I, on behalf of my association made a publication on Vanguard Newspaper of Monday, 11th August, 2014 on felicitation/appointment of our illustrious son, Sir Bassey Dan Abia as our Grand Patron”, Joseph wrote.
He continued: “On Tuesday 12th August 2014, one Mr. Timi Ekiyo, who introduced himself as the Personal Assistant (PA) to the MD of NDDC called me.
“He said the MD of NDDC asked him to call me regarding the publication of our association of Monday 11th August, 2014 to thank me. That I will be called later.
“After a week or so I called the said Timi Ekiyor and to ask him that the executive members of NAAKISS RSUST Chapter wanted to present a formal certificate of appointment to the NDDC MD as our Grand Patron.
“After some days, the PA (Timi Ekiyor) called and told me we should write formally and request for audience but put the date not later than 14 days precisely 3rd of September, 2014.
I also sought the advice of the said PA (Mr. Timi Ekiyor) that we intended to invite dignitaries to grace the occasion for us. He asked me to carry him along.
“Since we expressed our thanks to Mr. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in our publication in newspaper for appointing our illustrious son, Dan Abia, as the MD of NDDC, we decided to invite Mr. President to grace the occasion.
“The DHL report of who received the letter of invitation of Mr. President: Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, as our Special Guest of Honour is hereby attached and marked exhibit 8. In the DHL report attached, is one Muyiwa that received the letter from the DHL personnel. From my conversation with the DHL personnel, I was made to understand that letter from DHL is usually received at the pilot gate at the Villa, State House, Abuja.
“On 29th August 2014 somebody called me on phone. He said our letter of invitation to Mr. President dated 18th August, 2014 had been received by the president. However, he said the president will not be able to attend the occasion because that date is a state council meeting day but he has approved N20m for the Association, as his own support. “I then asked him: `who are you?’ He said he is a top Presidency official (names and designation withheld).
I further asked him: how do we get this support from Mr. President? He said we had to go through the Accountant -General of the Federation.
“The first thing I did was to inform one of our outside Patrons, Elder Justus Ekere, staying in Abuja to investigate for me the following information:
(a)Whether there is a designation as that of the State House official.
(b)If so, what is the name?
( c)Whether if the president makes this kind of support to the association, the official was supposed to be aware.
Our Patron, with the assistance of his friend who works in the Villa, confirmed the information to be true.
.The following points made me to believe:
(a)The caller pin pointed my letter of invitation to Mr. President dated 18th August, 2014 which was not published but sent through DHL and could not have been known by anybody except an insider.
(b)The existence of the position of State House official which the caller said he is and was confirmed by our Patron Elder Justus Ekere with the help of his friend who works in the Villa to be true.
(c )The name of the official which the caller said is his name was also confirmed to be true.
(d)That the official was in position to treat such case was also true and confirmed.
(e)That the Accountant – General is also in position to pay the money.
‘Public relations’
“It
was in line with this belief that I called the `official’ through the
number he used to call me to guide me on how to go about collecting the
N20m.
The ‘official’ told me that he knew that we are students and
that it may not be easy for us to be coming from Port Harcourt to
pursue the payment. He then informed me that he will help to arrange the
payment, but we must do PR otherwise for one year that money will not
reach our hands. I told him whatever is the PR they should deduct it
from the N20m when they pay.
“The `official’ told me that in the
Villa, every PR is paid cash. That is because many people had shown
untruthfulness to them. After helping them to get what they want they
show them their back.
“He told me that he would see what he could
do but we should let him find out how much PR the people wanted to bring
out the support of
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