As 7th National Assembly is inaugurated Monday

Abuja — It was a drama last night as operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) forced their way into the bedroom of the outgoing speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, and arrested him.

His arrest came as he explained how the controversial N10 billion loan was shared among principal officers and members of the House. LEADERSHIP gathered that more than 10 EFCC operatives arrived in his private residence in Asokoro, Abuja, at about 4pm yesterday on instruction to invite him to the corporate headquarters of the anti-graft agency.

But his security aides, comprising the State Security Service (SSS) and the police, were said to have prevented the EFCC operatives from gaining access to the house.
Worried by Bankole's strong resistance, EFCC chairman Mrs. Farida Waziri reportedly telephoned both the SSS and the police top officers who later withdrew their men and paved way for his arrest. He was arrested by 8pm.
EFCC explained last night that its operatives had to arrest Bankole ahead of his interrogation this morning because he was "discovered to be plotting other schemes to thwart his voluntary surrender or arrest" today.\

Supporters of then Speaker Dijemi Bankole fought during a session of the National Assembly after some members called for his impeachment.

The commission, in a statement signed by its head of media and publicity, Femi Babafemi, yesterday said: "The EFCC chairman, Mrs Farida Waziri, was compelled to order the immediate arrest of Mr. Bankole after analysing an intelligence report which showed that the outgoing speaker was planning to leave Abuja for Lagos on Sunday evening and thereafter flee the country through an illegal route."
Bankole had twice shunned invitations extended to him in the last two weeks by the EFCC and resisted attempts by operatives to arrest him in his Asokoro, Abuja, residence.
According to the anti-graft agency: "The EFCC operatives had to be withdrawn after over five hour stand-off after a commitment from Mr Bankole that he was going to surrender himself on Monday.
"While our men kept surveillance around the former speaker, hoping he will honour his promise to report on Monday, a fresh intelligence gathered by the Commission showed that Mr Bankole was not ready to keep his promise but was rather planning other schemes to escape from the country through an illegal route or obtain a restraining court order early on Monday to prevent the Commission from effecting his arrest or prosecution."

The EFCC said that the outgoing speaker would remain in custody to enable him have sufficient time to answer questions on the numerous fraud allegations against him.

However, in a press statement issued by his media aide, Mr. Idowu Bakare, last night, he claimed Bankole got monthly allocations of N100 million for two quarters amounting to N600 million while his deputy, Alhaji Usman Bayero Nafada, received N80 million monthly for the same period totaling N480 million.
Other principal officers who benefitted from the loan for eight months included House leader Tunde Akogun - N60 million monthly (360 million); chief whip Emeka Ihedioha - N55 million monthly (N330 million); deputy House leader Baba Shehu Agae - N57 million monthly (N342 million); and deputy chief whip Aminu Waziri Tambuwal - N54.5 million monthly (N327 million).

Bankole claimed in his press statement that the controversial loan was used to service increase in allowances of some principal officials and that his deputy never benefitted from the increment.

According to the statement, "Before the increment, quarterly allowance to the office of the speaker was N100 million while his deputy received N80 million. The loan in question was distributed among other principal officers and the remaining members of the House (see table).
"The total sum shows that the increment amounted to N5.012 billion and the loan was taken for two quarters amounting to N10.024 billion plus interest."
The embattled outgoing speaker further claimed that the loan was taken pursuant to an executive session decision of the House on Tuesday, March 30, 2010, where the report of a 37-member committee set up on March 25, 2010, to look into agitation of members for enhancement of running costs was reported by Hon. Independence Ogunewe.

"The report was approved by the House in executive session of March 30, 2010," Bankole stated.

Efforts by our National Assembly correspondents to get the principal officers to react to Bankole's claim failed as they refused to pick their telephone calls. They also refused to respond to text messages sent to their telephones.
Reacting to his arrest yesterday, his media aide said it was a breach of his constitutional right and a deliberate attempt to prevent him from attending this morning's session of the House.
Mr. Onyema Chukwura, chairman, House Committee on Works, while reacting to the arrest, said it was sad news, given the fact that the man had told the commission he would appear before it today.
"It is very sad, the EFCC coming at night in a Gestapo style to arrest him makes him look like a common criminal.

"We have to look into the matter today because, in the eyes of the law, he is still the speaker The law says you are innocent until proven otherwise. The fact that the EFCC operatives came in the night and picked him up in the presence of his children and wife is quite unacceptable.