By Bayo Davids
Lawyers from Liberty Attorneys have accused President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau of money laundering, misappropriation of funds and corruption amongst sundry ills and wants him investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The lawyers in a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) dated Thursday September 21, 2023, wants the Senior Advocate of Nigeria to clear the air on his open admission of receiving an amount of money on behalf of the NBA he claimed amounted to N50m on conversion.
The petition by the members of the NBA wants the EFCC to searchlight Maikyau particularly against the backdrop of his admission of receiving a huge amount of money from an anonymous donor on behalf of the association.
It would be recalled that the National EXCO of the NBA at the just-concluded 63rd Annual General Conference of the body unearthed a legion of shady deals allegedly perpetrated by the President.
Maikyau, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) made the confession in a bid to defend himself after the National Treasurer of the Association Madam Caroline Ladidi Anze-Bishop refused to present and authenticate an audited financial report of the Association which according to her, did not emanate from her office and neither was she a party in its preparation as is required by the NBA Constitution.
She alleged that Maikyau of usurpes Section 9(5) (g) and 23 of the extant Constitution of the NBA by hijacking the office of the Treasurer of the Association given the President’s admission of receiving money without recourse to the treasurer.
Furthermore, two other senior National Officers- 2nd Vice President Mr. Clement Chukwuemeka and the 3rd Vice President Mrs. Mandy Demechi Asagba accused Mr. Maikyau of usurping their offices replacing them with his personal aides in contravention of the Consittution of the NBA.
In his defense Maikyau at the AGM claimed that the national officers were accusing him because he refused to allow them access to the Association’s funds, adding that and he further claimed that the National Officers had in an executive meeting chaired by the 1st Vice President, Mrs. Linda Rose Bala, resolved to share the sum of N40m donated by the Kebbi State Government for the NBA’s AGM which was held in March this year.
Maikyau’s allegations have however been dismissed by various rejoinders by members of the association and the public.
In separate rejoinders and public rebuttals, first by the NBA Publicity Secretary Mr. Akorede Habeeb, then denied in a response by the General Secretary Mr. Adesina Adegbite and the Assistant General Secretary, Mr. Daniel Kip who is confirmed to be responsible for taking minutes of all executive meetings; Mr. Kip wrote that there was never such a meeting as was falsely alleged by the embattled NBA President and urged him to provide evidence
“There have also been allegations of corruption in the procurement of bags and award of contracts for the Annual General Conference to the tune of over 700 million Naira (bags alone), which is reported to be 50% more than what the National Executive Committee for the Association approved.
Maikyau had earlier, publicly admitted to allegations of conflict of interest and insider dealings in awarding various contracts to his family members at the Pre AGM National Executive Meeting which was held on the 26th of August 2023, before his public outburst on the 30th of August 2023.
The petition by the concerned NBA member reads, “I write as a legal practitioner and member of the Nigerian Bar Association to bring to your attention serious contraventions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, misappropriation of funds and corruption being perpetrated by the current President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN, OON.
“His public admission to receiving undisclosed amounts of hard currencies in cash from an anonymous donor on behalf of the NBA, which he said amounted to about fifty million naira when he converted it and other conducts of his, which warrants and necessitates our demand for a thorough investigation by your esteemed Commission for the following reasons:
“On the 30th of August 2023, during the association’s Annual General Meeting, Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau openly confessed to have received undisclosed sum in United States Dollars which in his words, he termed as ‘hard currency’ from undisclosed individuals on behalf of the association, in a manner which contravenes the provisions of Sections 2(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and 9(5) (g) of the NBA Constitution.”
Findings by PointblankNews.com revealed that the petition was received in the Office of the Executive Chairman of the EFCC on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.
As at the time of filing this report, it was not clear if the NBA boss had been contacted by the anti-graft commission in relation to the petition.
