Police IG Gives Bankole Lifeline As EFCC Shifts Arrest To Monday

Source: THEWILL. - thewillnigeria.com
EMBATTLED HOUSE SPEAKER, MR DIMEJI BANKOLE.
EMBATTLED HOUSE SPEAKER, MR DIMEJI BANKOLE.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 02, (THEWILL) – Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Friday morning stormed the official residence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole to effect his arrest but were obstructed from doing so by security agents attached to the Speaker until the Inspector General of Police,

Alhaji Hafiz Ringim personally stormed the residence to intervene.

Bankole, THEWILL gathered had called the police boss to help delay his arrest till Monday, June 06, 2011, to enable him handover affairs of the Office of the Speaker to a new Speaker expected to be elected on Monday.

The Speaker has refused to meet with EFCC operatives for questioning over various allegations of fraud involving House of Representatives funds.

A source familiar with the matter told THEWILL that the IG and a few influential persons today urged the commission to delay Bankole’s arrest till Monday to allow him perform his last official function as Speaker before taking him in for questioning.

Two sources at the EFCC said Bankole is currently under a 24-hr watch to block any plans of escape abroad.

The Speaker is enmeshed in an alleged N2.5 billion car purchase scam, a N10 billion unauthorized loan scam and a few other charges of embezzlement of House funds.

The EFCC on Wednesday accused Bankole in collaboration with a few civil society groups of planning to use the media to discredit the achievements of the anti-graft agency and its boss, Mrs. Farida Waziri.