Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) raided the Abuja home of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable ‘Dimeji Bankole, on Friday in a bid to effect his arrest over the N10 bilion scam rocking the House.
The operatives were said to have arrived his Asokoro, Abuja residence at about 6.30 a.m., following indications that the nation’s number four citizen was about to travel aboard a British Airways flight to London.
But his security details were said to have denied entry to the EFCC men, leading to some altercations between the two security teams.
While the operation, which lasted up to five hours was ongoing, Bankole was said to have been holed up in the House, making frantic calls to leading political figures.
But in an attempt to move in finally on the Speaker, the leader of the EFCC team was said to have got in touch with the commission’s chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri, who was said to have alerted the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Hafiz Ringim, about the possible forceful arrest of the Speaker
Meanwhile, the outgoing Speaker, Bankole, has agreed to appear before the EFCC on Monday over the alleged N10 billion bank loan scandal.
Commission’s spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi, confirmed the development.
The agreement for him to appear after handing over to his successor next Monday was said to have been brokered by the IGP, Hafiz Ringim, on Friday, following an unsuccessful attempt by the operatives of the commission to arrest him.
Ringim personally drove to Bankole’s residence in Maitama when push became shove, between the security details of Bankole and the anti-corruption operatives over the move to arrest him.
The operatives, who reportedly moved in to arrest him at about 7 a.m yesterday, were said to have stayed till 1 p.m, without any success in getting their man.
The embattled speaker, on Friday denied speculation about his arrest by officials of EFCC, indicating that he was set to honour an invitation by the commission to him next Monday.
He said he had formally notified the commission about his intention to visit its headquarters at 2.00pm on Monday.
Bankole’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Bakare, in a statement denied that the officials of EFCC had stormed the Speaker’s private residence in Abuja last Monday to enforce his arrest amid gunshots to make him comply
Bakare, though confirmed the visit by EFCC officials to Bankole, he said there was nothing to suggest that any attempt was made to arrest him.
The statement by Bakare read, “Following Bankole’s letters to the EFCC chairman of some procedural defects in his invitation by EFCC over ‘investigation activities,’ the anti-corruption agency has sent its men to Bankole to renew the invitation and Bankole has given a Monday date for his appearance.”
The outgoing Speaker had scheduled series of meetings in Abuja and Lagos for the weekend with various groups, including personal aides as part of his valedictory activities contrary to insinuation that he intended to travel out today to United Kingdom.
The Speaker’s aide said, his principal could not appear before EFCC as earlier scheduled given the implication of doing so in his official capacity, as, according to him, Bankole trusted in the institution of the House than to bring any form of disrepute to it.
He said the outgoing Speaker was capable of defending himself even as EFCC had not specified that he had committed any offence while in office