Alleged $15m Ibori bribery scam: I will open can of worms -Edwin Clark

Edwin Clark

THE controversy over the alleged $15 million bribery scam involving former governor of Delta State, James Ibori and former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has assumed a new twist, following threats by Pa Edwin Clark, Ijaw leader, to expose corruption in EFCC.

The Ijaw leader said heads must roll in the EFCC on the manner it had been handling high profile cases of corruption such that alleged corrupt individuals were not allowed to face prosecution after being investigated.
Clark, who addressed the media on Thursday, said he was prepared to testify against the EFCC on issues surrounding the alleged $15 million bribe and the attempt by the EFCC to unlawfully take custody of the said sum.
“Let them invite me over this matter, either by the court or the EFCC, I will go and testify. I will say what I know and nobody can gag me. Let us for once stand up and fight corruption in this country,” he said.
The Ijaw leader said he was shocked that the EFCC, now headed by Ibrahim Lamorde, was attempting to confuse the Nigerian public on ownership of the $15 million bribery sum, while concluding that no on had come forward to clain it.
He said Lamorde was, indeed, aware that the said money was offered as bribe by Ibori to Ribadu, while Ibori sought the assistant of Senator Andy Uba to help hand over the sum to Ribadu in 2007.
He said Ribadu and Uba had written statements to affirm that Ibori brought the $15 million bribe to Uba’s residence from where it was transferred to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by a team of EFCC officials led by Lamorde, on Ribadu’s instructions.