I’m mobilizing foreign arsenal against Dogara, Jibrin says

The suspended former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, has denied fleeing into exile, insisting that he left the country to mobilize foreign governments against the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.

There had been media reports that the embattled Kano born lawmaker has fled Nigeria for the United Kingdom over likely twist in his campaign for the removal of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, who he accused of padding the 2016 budget to the tune of N40 billion alongside three other principal officers of the House.

Jibrin, in a stated he posted on his Facebook account, however denied running away from the country in order to avoid an imminent arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

According to Jibrin, the reports are part of the ‘wicked propaganda’ launched against him by Dogara and other ‘corrupt members of the House of Representatives’.

Throwing light on why he traveled out of the country, Jibrin said he left the country to receive an award in London and also mobilize foreign governments, the media, parliaments, international civil society groups and Nigerians in Diaspora for the arrest and prosecution of Dogara and others.

The statement reads:
My attention has been drawn to series of media reports that I flee Nigeria for the fear that the EFCC is closing on me. This is far from the truth and an extension of the wicked propaganda and blackmail lunched against me by Speaker Yakubu Dogara and other corrupt members of the House of Representatives who are angry and jittery over the allegations of budget fraud and corruption I leveled against them and their impending arrest and prosecution.

The fact of the matter is that I traveled out of the country freely like every responsible citizen and through the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja on Friday 4th November 2016.
The purpose of my trip is to receive an award in recognition of my modest effort in exposing corruption in the House of Representatives by the African Voice Newspaper London and embark upon an extensive international campaign to mobilize foreign governments, parliaments, media, civil society and anti corruption groups and Nigerians in diaspora to join the call for the arrest and prosecution of Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun, Whip Alhassan Doguwa and Minority Leader Leo Ogor on the strength of the allegations and overwhelming evidence against them.

Read also: 5 more reasons Jibrin might have fled into exile

This is in addition to series of lectures lined up for me where I will be delivering papers on corruption in the Nigerian Legislature and the reforms that must be implemented in the House of Representatives.

Indeed I received the award on Saturday 5th November and lunched the international anti corruption campaign with an exclusive interview on BEN Television London on Monday 6th November 2016. In the next few days, I will be meeting with some international personalities and organizations and commence some activities that will expose the endemic corruption in the House of Representatives especially under Speaker Yakubu Dogara and the urgent need and how to salvage the situation.

I have stated repeatedly that I have engaged the security and anti corruption agencies severally over the petitions I submitted and provided them with evidential documents and vital clues and we have constantly kept in tough. I have also pledged to stand as witness against the Speaker and others. I have nothing to fear. If for any reason my attention is needed, I will make myself available.

My constrain has always been the threat to my life which I have raised alarm severally that the House cabal led by Speaker Yakubu Dogara are using Hon. Herma Hembe to either assassinate or kidnap me or members of my family. Hon Hembe has been stalking me. I have been worried and written to the security agencies but non of these people have been questioned. In fact at some point, they tried to used some elements in one of the security agencies to abduct me. All these were reported by my lawyers.

It is against this background that I took the decision to stay away from the country until my safety is guaranteed. However ever, I will be available once my attention is required in respect of my petition against the Speaker and others or any petition that may come against me.
Iam therefore urging the media to endeavor to cross check information before they publish so that the public will always be fed with the facts of the matter.
By Timothy Enietan-Matthews…

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