There are strong indications that former President
Goodluck Jonathan may have gone into temporary self exile in Cote d’Ivoire,
following reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may
arrest him on his arrival in Nigeria from his overseas tour on allegations of
corruption and misappropriation of billions of dollars in the five years during
which he was Head of State, THISDAY has learnt.
Several
sources close to the ex-president, who confirmed that Jonathan had sought
refuge last week in the West African country, also blamed the heightened
attacks on oil and gas installations by Ijaw militants in the Niger Delta,
resulting in the loss of an estimated 800,000-900,000 barrels of crude oil per
day (bpd), to what they claimed was “the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari
to renege on his promise that his predecessor had ‘nothing to fear’ from him
(Buhari) after he handed over the reins of power on May 29, 2015”.
Immediately
after his electoral victory in 2015 and at his presidential inauguration,
Buhari, in what was seen as a political gesture, had stated that he would not
go after his successor, despite allegations that the former president had
presided over widespread corruption during his five years in the saddle.
However,
since Jonathan’s departure, anti-corruption agencies led by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have swept in on several associates of the
former president on allegations of money laundering, diversion of public funds
and contract scams, mostly linked to defence sector contracts and the purchase
of arms used for the prosecution of the war against Boko Haram in the
North-east.
In
recent weeks, the EFCC has in addition to arresting and prosecuting several
public office holders who served under the Jonathan administration, arrested
some of the closest allies of the former president including his cousin, Mr.
Aziobola Robert, in connection to a $40 million pipeline surveillance contract,
and his former principal secretary and confidant Mr. Hassan Tukur.
These
arrests were said to have shaken the former president, given that they were the
two persons closest to him during his presidency.
A
source, who spoke to THISDAY on Jonathan’s decision to give Nigeria a wide
berth, said the former president was reliably warned by security sources of the
plan to arrest him once he stepped into the country, hence his decision to seek
exile in Cote d’Ivoire.
Jonathan,
the source disclosed, departed Nigeria for the United States almost two months
ago travelling to several cities but stayed in New York for some two weeks.
After departing the US, he travelled to London to be with his children for a
few days, preparatory to his return to Nigeria.
But
while in the UK, he was warned by sympathetic officials in different arms of
government of the government’s decision to arrest him once he returned to
Nigeria.
On
getting wind of the plan, Jonathan, THISDAY gathered, contacted a few
West African leaders including the President of Cote d’Iviore, Mr. Alassane
Outtara, who offered him a safe haven until the coast is clear for him to
return to Nigeria.
Sources
close to the president said since the information of the government’s resolve
to arrest Jonathan swept through the Niger Delta, Ijaw militants have gone
berserk and stepped up their attacks on oil and gas installations in the
region. They are said to be hell bent on shutting down oil output completely.
One
source said the militants are targeting all onshore and shallow water
installations, from where Nigeria derives the bulk of 90 per cent of its
foreign exchange earnings and may head for the deep offshore oil fields if the
federal government does not back down.
“Perhaps
the only installations that may not be affected in the interim by militant
attacks are those in the deep offshore basin because they are more difficult to
reach and would require large vessels to access,” said the source who, however,
added that “during the last militant crises we went as far as shutting down the
Bonga deep water oil field”.
In
order to stem the renewed wave of attacks, governors in the region have
scrambled and sent teams to the creeks to placate the militants, but so far
their efforts appear to have fallen on deaf ears.
The
governors are particularly concerned that the attacks on oil installations
would hurt the Niger Delta states the most due to the attendant decline in
revenue.
When
contacted on the plan by the government to arrest Jonathan and his purported
exile, Buhari’s media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, said he was not aware that the
former president was in exile, adding that questions on his arrest could only
be addressed by the security and law enforcement agencies.
Source:Thisday Newspaper
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Politics