Nigerian Govt Set To Probe Atiku

Lai Mohammed, the Nigerian minister of information has declared that the federal government is ready to question Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic party’s presidential candidate immediately he returns from United States.

For the first time after over a decade, Atiku landed on the soil of America yesterday against the speculations that he cannot enter the foreign country for fear of prosecution by the US Government.

In a press briefing on Friday, Mr Mohammed said the government will investigate Mr Abubakar’s alleged role in the collapse of former Bank PHB.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said this while briefing State House correspondents on Friday.

Mr Mohammed said the decision to question Mr Abubakar is “following fresh evidence that he benefitted from slush funds that led to the collapse of Bank PHB.”

He furnther opinwd that the givernment has in its position “paper trail which shows that he benefitted from N156 million.”

“It started from an internal memo dated 13 January 2009 asking that a draft in favour of Atiku Abubakar of 156 million should be raised,” he said.

Mr Mohammed also said another memo on the same date was raised to confirm that the amount was raised from a “claimant management account.”

He said the government has proof of the account mandate, cheque and account statement showing Mr Abubakar as the signatory to the account that received the money.

“We want him to stay in the US for as long as he wants but he has to explain to Nigerians when he returns,” he added.

Atiku is already billed to return to Nigeria on Saturday ahead of the presidential debate that same day in Abuja.