"I'm not in possession of $620,000 Bribe Money" -Jagaba writes Police

Adams Jagaba

Facts emerged last night that one of the lawmakers, chairman House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and

Financial Crimes, Adams Jagaba, linked with the $620,000 bribery scandal in the subsidy probe has denied knowledge about the money and other related issues.

Jagaba in a four paragraph letter sighted by our correspondent,  said “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 exhibits (in my personal capacity or official capacity as chairman House committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes) relating to the subject matter.

 “I hope this explanation lay to rest once and for all the claims that I or my committee is in possession of the sum of $620,000 USD purportedly given as bribe to the adhoc committee on monitoring of fuel subsidy regime.”

The embattled Farouk Lawan, who had been relieved of all his positions in the House pending the conclusion of the investigation into the $620,000  bribery scandal, had informed the Police and Nigerians  that marked dollars were in possession of the chairman House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Adams Jagaba. He also stated that Jagaba, was earlier informed of the attempt by chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, Mr. Femi Otedola, to bribe the Adhoc Committee in order to

get his companies delisted from the indicted oil companies which procured foreign exchange but failed to import petroleum products during the period being investigated.

In a swift response to the request of the Nigeria Police, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal via a letter sent to

Jagaba, urged him to respond to the Police inquiry without further delay.

The speaker’s letter, signed by Chile Igbawua, his Special Adviser, Legal and Legislative, told Mr. Jagaba the police’s letter “was self explanatory” and that he should “react urgently” to the request.

The Police, in the letter sought for the Speaker's assistance to secure the release of the said money, which Lawan claimed was in the custody of Jagaba.

Commissioner of Police, Ali Amodu, in the letter requested the Speaker to make the amount available, and “any other material that maybe of use to this investigation.”

In admitting that he collected the bribe money,  recall that Farouk Lawan had told Nigerians that he

was merely playing along in Mr.  Otedola’s bribery allegation and that he gave the bribe money

$620,000 to the chairman House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Adams

Jagaba  to expose that Otedola offered him a bribe to compromise the committee’s report.

June 20, 2012