Jonathan returns to Nigeria after exile rumours

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has  returned to Nigeria after a month's trip to the United Kingdom and Côte d'Ivoire thereby rubbish reports that he had sought asylum in  the West African country to escape arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

EFCC had insisted that it had no official petitions against the president or documents directly linking him with any fraudulent dealings.

Some of ex-President’s top aides while in office are undergoing investigations by the anti-graft agency and it is believed that some of them had made some implicating statements against Jonathan.

There were media reports last weekend that the anti-graft agency had received first direct petition requesting that the former president be probed especially in relation to revelations arising from the case of  former Peoples Democratic Party Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh.

The former President, reports indicate,  arrived at the Port Harcourt International Airport on Wednesday before heading for his country home in Otuoke, Bayelsa State.

It was gathered that Jonathan arrived at Otuoke at 9pm.

An associate of the former President, who pleaded anonymity, said, “I have spoken with the ex-President and he said that he returned to the country.”

Jonathan had on May 23 dismissed a report that he was on exile in Cote d'Ivoire.

A report by a national newspaper (not The PUNCH) had indicated that Jonathan had been given asylum in that Francophone country for fear of being arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission .

But on May 23 Jonathan had denied the report saying, “I'm not on exile. I have no cause to go on exile. It is a wicked and malicious report.

President Buhari administration has blamed Jonathan’s administration for much of the woes Nigeria is currently going through, with allegations that humongous resources of this country up to $100b were stolen during Jonathan tenure.