Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu seems to have become more
desperate as the Supreme Court begins hearing on a case of alleged
submission of false information and forged tax documents instituted
against him by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia
State, Sir Friday Nwosu.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that the governor had been running from pillar
to post in his desperate bid to compromise the Supreme Court in the suit
which may soon be decided by the Court. Ikpeazu is said to have turned to
an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) to anyone who he suspects, have anything
to do with the learned Justices of the apex court. On this, the Director
General of the Department of State Security,(DSS) Lawal Daura, is alleged
to have made over N2 billion , including an eye popping mansion at Asokoro
from the Abia governor as he keeps promising to help him get the support
of the Supreme Court.
A source in the Presidency who pleaded anonymity said panic had enveloped
Ikpeazu’s camp when lawyers appearing for the Abia governor in the suit
against Nwosu warned him to seek a political solution as the Supreme Court
cannot ignore the obvious false information and discrepancies on the tax
documents he submitted to the PDP and INEC.
A week ago, Lawal Daura, had attempted to bribe Islamic Clerics from a
nearby West African country who came to offer prayers to the President.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that before the arrival of the prayer
mallams to Nigeria, that some lawyers hired by Ikpeazu had approached the
Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami seeking how he
could help the governor escape the hammer of the apex court.
Malami was said to have informed Ikpeazu’s team of lawyers that he could
not offer any help as the federal government isn’t a party in the suit. He
however informed them about the then impending visit of the President’s
prayer team on how they could get the mallams to prevail on Buhari to
intervene and save the governor.
Pointblanknews.com sources further stated that the Abia governor doled out
a whooping N100 million to Daura to influence the prayer mallams to give a
false and favourable prophecy to Buhari to intervene on behalf of Ikpeazu
at the Supreme Court. It was also gathered that the DSS DG pocketed N90
million, leaving N10 million for the Islamic clerics.
It was reported that during the prayer sessions, Daura kept interrupting
the mallams expecting them to prophesy as he wanted them and was disturbed
wondering if his messengers actually gave the N10 millions to the Islamic
clerics. He was ordered to keep quiet and allow the mallams do their work.
On 21st September, 2017, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris ,
visited Abia state to assess the level of destruction from the Army/IPOB
clash. A high ranking monarch in the state who was privy to the
arrangements by the State Council of Traditional Rulers told
Pointblanknews.com that Ikpeazu gave N10 million through Eze Eberechi Dick
who is the Chairman of South East council of Traditional Rulers to the IGP
to deliver a favourable report about Ikpeazu to the Presidency.
Ikpeazu’s failure to visit the President to brief him on the recent
Military/IPOB skirmishes in Abia is said to have been considered by the
Presidency as lack of respect for Buhari. Since his election as Abia
governor, Ikpeazu has found it unnecessary to warm up to Buhari, but
prefers to wine and dine with the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
During the visit, the source hinted that Abia state government prevailed
on IGP Idris not to get to Aba for an on the spot assessment of the attack
on Uratta Onions market, the Aba Central Mosque and the burnt Ariaria
Divisional Police Station where the Muslim community waited in vain as the
IGP only visit Umuahia.
Ikpeazu’s reasons for not allowing the IGP to visit Aba is not unconnected
with the deplorable state of roads in the city as Idris could not even pay
the traditional homage to the State chairman of council traditional rulers
, Eze Eberechi Dick, at his palace on the outskirts of Aba.