…Demand accusers’ appearance, investigation
The Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), to invite one Jackson Ude, who he claimed accused him of fraudulent financial deals to come forward and substantiate his allegation.
The NIMASA D-G, who alleged blackmail in the petition he wrote to the Commission on Monday, expressed concern that the allegations were weighty and have the capacity to negatively impact on the image of the country and indeed, the government; and requested the anti-graft body to undertake a clinical investigation to establish the veracity or otherwise of the allegation, and: “to set the record straight.”
Whereas his accuser, Ude, believed to be the publisher of an online social media platform, had in an earlier report alleged that the sum of N1.5trillion and $9million has been traced to the maritime chief regulator’s personal accounts, he later changed the narrative and absolved Jamoh of the controversial sum of N1.5million purportedly laundered through a firm based in Dubai.
However, Ude insisted in his allegation that Jamoh has a question to answer over the sum of $9million, which he said was government money being siphoned by the NIMASA boss through his personal company; an allegation the latter has denied, while urging EFCC to dig into the matter and come out with its report.
Dr. Jamoh also expressed worry that not only his name but that of his family was at stake, and urged the commission to take necessary action to put the matter to rest through expeditious investigation, since the allegation also impugned the integrity of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN).
Meanwhile, online social media reports have gone to town to say the matter was a case of mistaken identity, noting that the said Ude inadvertently mistook Dr. Jamoh for one Hamza Ibrahim Jamo, a retired employee of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
