Its avowal came even as operatives of the commission stormed his Asokoro guest house (bought by the House) over his failure to honour two summonses extended to him to explain his role in the N10bn loan the House secured from the United Bank for Africa.
It was gathered that the EFCC failed to arrest him on Friday following an intervention from powerful people both in and outside government, which included powerful emirs from the North.
However, the commission said that Bankole would have no powers to escape arrest on Monday after he might have handed over to a successor that would emerge that day.
“He will be arrested after he hands over,” the commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi said.
Other charges against Bankole include the N2.3bn car scam, which the commission had since completed its investigation on, last year.
The speaker’s tenure expires on Saturday (today) by mid-night; and it was gathered that he had been placed on the watch list of the commission.
The EFCC had placed the residence of the speaker under surveillance following “intelligence reports” that he planned to jet out of the country.
Its attempt to forestall his exit from the country had forced the commission to visit his official and personal residences in Apo legislative quarters, before he was finally traced to the Asokoro guest house.
A person on a watch list will be under security observation to prevent them from travelling out of the country.
The EFCC had launched an investigation into Bankole’s activities following a petition from a group, Youth Anti-Corruption League.
The group had called on the EFCC to investigate the N10bn loan controversy, Bankole’s role in the N2.3bn car scam, and the mismanagement of the N9bn capital budget of the House for 2008/2009.
Twice, Bankole had spurned the summons of the EFCC over the N10bn loan, the last of such invitations was Tuesday.
The outgoing speaker had written to the anti-graft commission, rescheduling the time to appear before the five-man panel of investigators probing the alleged scam in the House.
Bankole alleged that the commission did not invite him properly, just as he claimed that the agency had initiated his trial in the media first before inviting him.
However, the commission denied his claim, flaunting a letter it had forwarded to the Clerk of the House for his formal invitation.
The EFCC said in Abuja on Friday that its operatives had cordoned off his residence since late Thursday night, but Bankole had resisted arrest as he holed himself up in the house.
Babafemi told SATURDAY PUNCH that the operatives of the commission would remain at Bankole’s Asokoro residence until Monday, by which time his tenure would have expired.
He said, “Our men had placed him under surveillance since yesterday (Thursday). They moved in this morning and for four or five hours, he resisted arrest and has been calling the whole world to come to his aid and prevent the EFCC from arresting him. He will be arrested after he hands over.”
It was gathered that Bankole had called many top Nigerians to intervene in the matter and to appeal to the EFCC to back off so that he could have enough time to properly hand over as speaker to his successor on Monday.
A Presidency source told SATURDAY PUNCH that the intervention of a top police officer prevented his arrest.
Besides, powerful emirs from the North are said to have prevailed on the EFCC chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri, to give Bankole some respite till Monday.
However, Bankole, in a reaction on Friday, denied that there was an attempt by EFCC operatives to arrest him and he resisted.
He noted in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Bakare, that the EFCC operatives came to his residence to renew the earlier invitation they sent to him.
Source: Punch Ng
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