Date Published: 10/21/10

N5.6 Billion Fraud: Fears grip Elumelu over EFCC's possible hammer
…Defrauds customs of N23 Million

Hon. Elumelu

The fear of being banned from contesting the forth coming elections into the House of Representatives has become a major concern for Godwin Ndudi Elumelu who alongside nine others is alleged to have defrauded Nigeria of N5.6 Billion from the rural electrification projects.

This is even as the Nigeria customs is presently battling to recover the sum of N23 Million from Elumelu who imported two LB 6 bullet proof cars but failed to pay up full import duties.

Elumelu was the chairman House of Representatives Committee on Power and Steel with the crime when the N5.6 Billion fraud was allegedly carried out.

Sources told pointblanknews.com that since the announcement by the Chairman of the Economic And Financial Crimes commission, EFCC, Farida Waziri, Elumelu swiftly began a deft move aimed at lobbying the Presidency and the EFCC to clear him from the allegation of the monumental fraud.

Elumelu, representing, Aniocha North/Aniocha South/Oshimili North/Oshimili South Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, allegedly stole allegedly about N5.6 billion from the coffers of the Rural Electrification Agency using 65 phony companies that were purportedly awarded contracts for Grid Extension and Solar Electricity project.

The EFCC last week re-arraigned Elumelu, former Senate Committee Chairman on Power, Senator Nicholas Ugbane and Jibo Mohammed at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja. They were charged with fresh 65 counts bordering on defrauding the government of over N5.2 billion in the Rural Electrification Agency project.

However, Pointblanknews.com gathered that Elumelu’s re-arraignment has become his major nightmare as he is said to have started reaching out to his contacts, using the Chairman of the Delta State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi.

Elumelu’s lobby according to a source within Delta State is aimed at either having the EFCC soft-pedal on its moves to place a ban on corrupt politicians or stop the anti-graft agency from proceeding with the prosecution of the Delta State born politician and nine others.

However, another twist that has emerged in Elumelu’s case is a fresh allegation that he only recently allegedly defrauded the Nigeria Customs to the tune of N23 Million from duties he did not pay on two LB 6 Armored cars he imported to Nigeria ahead of the 2011 general elections.

As at the time of filing this report, it is not clear if Elumelu has paid back the N23 million, but sources within the customs told Pointblanknews.com that the comptroller General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko, has personally ordered that Elumelu be made to pay back the huge sums.

Sources hinted Pointblanknews.com that when the two bullet proof cars arrived the port in Nigeria, Elumelu contacted an agent who promised use his connection in the customs to clear the two cars for a paltry N300,000.00. The Lawmaker was said to have jumped on the offer and immediately paid the sum. The two cars were cleared but when the Customs hierarchy ran through it books, they discovered that Elumelu who was supposed to pay almost N26 Million as duties defrauded the Customs.

Garba Kurfi, the Area Comptroller who was alerted about the scam according to sources immediately contacted the Comptroller General who directed that Elumelu be pursued for the balance.

Sources told Pointblanknews.com that although Elumelu is not alone in the habit of short-changing the Customs, the Customs, it was learnt, have now decided to take the issue of politicians not paying up duties very seriously with a possibility of liaising with other relevant agencies to stop politicians from short-changing the nation from duties.