The ex-Imo accountant general, Igbo Ndubuisi Donald, told the police that he is the signatory to the account held in the name of Chidinma’s father and that some funds have been transferred without his mandate.
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Rule of Law, Accountability and Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has protested the police harassment of a banker with the United Bank of Africa (UBA), Mrs Chidinma Ugochukwu.
In a petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali, signed by RULAAC executive director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, alleges that a former accountant general of Imo State, Igbo Ndubuisi Donald, confirmed to the police that he opened a bank account in the name of Mrs Chidinma Ugochukwu’s father.
RULAAC says the ex-accountant general who uses the dummy accountant to allegedly steal Imo State’s money, has now deployed the police, led by Assistant Inspector General Garba Baba Umar, to harass Mrs Chidinma Ugochukwu.
The petition reads
Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has received credible information concerning alleged persecution of one Mrs. Chidinma Ugochukwu, a banker with the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Owerri branch by by the Head, National Control of Bureau of Interpol, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Nigeria Police Force, Force Headquarters headed by one Assistant Inspector General Garba Baba Umar at the instigation of one Mr. Igbo Ndubuisi Donald.
RULAAC hereby writes to request your urgent intervention to halt the alleged persecution and to investigate the man behind the police arrest and persecution who is the actual crime suspect.
*RULAAC was informed as follows:*
1. That on Thursday, the 1st of September, 2022, Mrs. Chidinma Ugochukwu, a staff of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Owerri Branch, received an invitation from the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, routed through the office of the Managing Director of her bank.
2. That the invitation claimed that they needed to interview her in connection with an investigation the police were carrying out bordering on criminal breach of trust, fraud, forgery and theft.
3. That without fearing anything, Mrs. Chidinma Ugochukwu honored the invitation in Abuja on Monday 8th September, 2022.
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4. That she was presented with a bank account opened in the name of her own father, an Account Number and her father’s Bank Verification Number.
5. That the petition presented to her happened to have been written by one Mr. Igbo Ndubuisi Donald
6. That in the petition, the complainant told the police that when he was Accountant General during the tenure of Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha, he opened the account in question using the name of Mrs. Chidinma Ugochukwu’s father who happens to be one of his friends but without the knowledge of the man whose name appears as the account holder.
7. That the complainant claimed that he is the signatory to the account held in the name of Chidinma’s father and that some funds have been transferred without his mandate.
8. That he could not explain to the police why it became necessary for him to open an account in the name of another person without the knowledge of that other person when they were not in any joint venture or business or partnership.
9. That Mr. Igbo Ndubuisi Donald is believed to be among government officials who looted the treasury of Imo State dry during the era of Rochas Okorocha and even spanning to the period of Emeka Ihedioha.
10. That it was only when the current Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma came to power that he discovered the fraud of Mr. Igbo Ndubuisi Donald as Accountant General of Imo State and removed him from office.
11. That the said Mr. Igbo Ndubuisi Donald is said to own choice properties in many streets of Owerri, the least of such properties is an eight (8) flats of three bedrooms and wherever he built, he built not less than two at once.
12. That Mr. Igbo Ndubuisi Donald owns properties in Europe, Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt apart from those he owns in Owerri.
13. That other third parties or friends of his whose names he used in opening this fictitious accounts includes one Chinedu Longs, a young Assistant Pastor in one of the churches in Owerri, whose name he used to launder huge sums of money.
14. That there is no doubt that this is a clear case of somebody trying to conceal proceeds of crime which under our law constitutes money laundering, and these facts are well known to the Police officers working for Mr. Igbo Ndubuisi Donald but they rather chose to show a determination to look away from the substantive money laundering offence as they voiced out that they yet have no mandate to investigate that and have no complaint on that.
16. That the above caricature of investigation is being handled by the Head, National Control of Bureau of Interpol, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Nigeria Police Force, Force Headquarters headed by one Assistant Inspector General Garba Baba Umar.
17. That Mrs Ugochukwu was shown an alleged detention order already obtained before her arrival by the police empowering them to detain her for two weeks. The police therefore intimidated her that unless she cooperates with them, by incriminating herself, contrary to the constitution, they were going to detain her for the two weeks period. Her statement were also obtained in the absence of her lawyer, contrary to the provisions of Administration of Criminal justice Act. These shows the police are not doing a fair investigation but have been compromised by the complainant to hunt the woman down and make her loose her job with the bank.
18. That although following the intervention of a senior lawyer, the Investigating Police Officers, one Abdullahi, team leader and assistant team, one Abdul, released Mrs. Chidinma Ugochukwu on administrative bail after she made her statement, she is required to be reporting frequently and this will likely threaten her job.
19. Sir, we find this worrisome and hereby request you to order an end to further persecution of Mrs Chidinma Ugochukwu and to order proper investigation into why an adult who is employed in the civil service should open a bank account in the name of another person without the latter’s consent.
20. We believe that the justice of the matter requires that Mr. Igbo Ndubuisi Donald should be made to give account of why he opened the account in the name of third parties even when he is signatory to those accounts.
21. We call for a thorough investigation of the alleged money laundering by Mr. Igbo Ndubuisi Donald who confessed in his petition to the police, why the police refused to investigate the sources of the funding and the reason for warehousing the funds on the accounts of third parties.
22. This manifest act of corruption accounts for why civil servants in Imo State cannot be paid and the poor state of infrastructure as those in-charge massively looted the State. This also accounts for the state of poverty and huge debt while themselves and their generations unborn will continue to live in opulence.
Please, be assured of our highest consideration as we look forward to your prompt attention to this petition.
Yours sincerely,
Okechukwu Nwanguma
Executive Director