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A Civil Society Group named Citizens Initiative for Better Nigeria (CIBN) has dragged Mohammed Bello Koko, the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of fraud, money laundering and abuse of office. In a dated 16th June, 2023 and signed by the Chief Convener of the group, Comrade Kabir Adamu Matazu, it was revealed that the NPA boss looted public funds to buy choice properties in the United Kingdom.
It would be recalled that Bello Koko earlier served as the Executive Director Finance and Administration of the NPA in 2015 before his elevation to the position of Acting Managing Director in 2021 after the sack of Hadiza Bala-Usman as the Managing Director of the NPA under very controversial circumstances.
Part of the petition reads:
“A discreet investigation by our CIBN reveals that Bello Koko abused his offices as Executive Director, Finance and Administration as well as Acting Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to massively amass wealth which he deployed to acquire choice properties in the United Kingdom. Specifically, Bello Koko used two BVI-incorporated shell companies namely; Coulwood Limited (Registration Number: 1487897) and Marney Limited (Registration Number: 1487944) to purchase a total of 6 properties. The said properties are listed below;
i. 62, Corner Mead, Hendon, (NW9 5RD) purchased on 25th November, 2008.
ii. Flat 2, Liberty Court, 141, Great North Way, London NW4 1PR purchased on 20th October, 2009.
iii. 37, Redlands Road, Enfield (EN3 5HN) purchased on 16th August, 2011.
iv. 62, Manton Road, Enfield, London EN3 6XZ purchased on 23rd July, 2012.
v. 14, Faraday House, Aurora Gardens, London (SW11 8ED) purchased on 3rd May, 2017.
vi. 2A Beech Hill, Barnet, Greater London, EN4 0JP on November 06, 2015, at Ā£1,750,000.
“We submit that the property described in paragraph (vi) above, a 7-bedroom freehold detached house was ranked as the 11th most expensive property in EN4 0JP, with a valuation of Ā£2,274,000 as at April, 2022. Granted the EFCC is believed to have investigated Bello Koko alongside other top politicians in Nigeria following revelations that he operated foreign accounts which he did not declare to the Code of Conduct Bureau when he served as Director of Finance and Administration before becoming Acting Managing Director of NPA, the outcome of EFCC investigation appears to have been swept under the carpet”.
“Sometime in 2022, it was reported that Hadiza Bala Usman; then Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority was suspended from office in May 2021 following allegation of non-remittance of about N165 Billion Naira operating surpluses into the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account of the Federation by the NPA. The suspension order approved by President Muhammadu Buhari followed a request for the probe of the accounts of the NPA made by the former Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, when he was in office. The Minister subsequently set up an Administrative Panel of Inquiry to investigate the affairs of the NPA, including awards of contracts from 2016 to May 2021”.
The petition further states that:
“Our investigations further reveal that the N165 Billion operating surpluses could not have been diverted from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation by NPA under the leadership of Hadiza Usman Bala without the knowledge and participation of Bello Koko who was her Director of Finance and Administration at that time. We therefore wonder why Hadiza Usman Bala was hurriedly suspended and later removed from office as MD while Bello Koko received promotion to the position of Acting Managing Director before he was later made substantive MD in August 2022.
“Also, the Pandora Papers of 2021 reveals that Bello Koko and his wife, Agatha Anne Koko enlisted the services of financial secrecy seller, Cook Worldwide and Aleman, Cordero, Galindo and Lee (Alcogal), an offshore Law firm, to register Coulwood Limited (reg. number 1487897) and Marney Limited (Reg. number 1487944) in the British Virgin Island (BVI) one of the worlds most commonly used tax havens in 2018. Bello Koko was at the time of incorporation of the two companies stated above holding Public Office but permitted himself to be used as Director of the two companies in gross violation of Sections 5 and 6 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act as well as the 7th Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“Bello Koko, again in contravention of the Nigeria Single Treasury Account (TSA) Policy operates multiple bank accounts for and on behalf of the NPA. These accounts are used to receive Millions of Dollars annually looted under his leadership. We are aware that the EFCC carried out financial profiling of Bello Koko in August 2021 and found out that the NPA MD worked with an associate, Ali Amin Abubakar and had benefited from awards of contracts totaling N1,107,654,133 from the Rivers State Government and others.
“It is our contention that the corrupt and fraudulent activities of Bello Koko have contributed to the severe economic hardship now suffered by Millions of Nigerians as monies meant to be deployed or utilized in critical areas of our national life were looted and stashed away by Bello Koko and his cronies.
“The more reason why Bello Koko should be brought to book unfailingly by the EFCC is that he spearheaded the funding of the Presidential Campaign of his godfather and former Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi. After lavishing Millions of Naira on Amaechiās failed bid, Bello Koko again went ahead to use taxpayersā money to fund the campaign of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who was the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on the instructions of Amaechi.
The group urged EFCC to act speedily otherwise the cases hanging on the neck of Bello Koko at the Special Fraud Office (SFO), National Crime Agency (NCA) as well as Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) all in the United Kingdom will be reopened. This is to ensure that his properties acquired with proceeds of crime are confiscated and forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the group gave the Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission an ultimatum of five days to arrest Bello Koko and commence his prosecution. They concluded by praying the EFCC not to leave no stone unturned in making life uncomfortable for a crooked and notorious person like Bello Koko Mohammed who is well known to have penchant for criminality, even after he is removed from office by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
In the event that the demand put forward by the group is treated with levity, they threatened to embark on mass protests at strategic locations within Abuja. The protest will be aimed at brief the local and international communities on the effort CIBN has made to contribute to the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President and how EFCC deliberately frustrated them by treating Bello Koko as a sacred cow.
Peoplesmind
