Former 2nd Vice-President of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr
Monday Ubani has said that the return of the former Chairman of
Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, Mrs Ngozi Olejeme to
the country to face allegations of N69billion fraud by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has vindicated him of any role
in her initial disappearance.
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
The EFCC had sometime in 2017 filed a fraud charge against
Olejeme alleging that she defrauded NSITF of over N64billion while
she was the chairman of the establishment.
![image](/2021/01/payne-alex.jpg")
Olejeme who was then outside the country for medical treatment
was persuaded by Ubani to return to Nigeria to clear herself of any
wrong doing in the alleged fraud.
Upon her return and subsequent interrogation by EFCC operatives,
Olejeme was released on administrative bail to Ubani despite having
provided two other sureties.
She later fled the country prompting the EFCC to detain Ubani
for about 23 days and requesting that he produce her.
In a lengthy statement posted on his social media handles late
Friday, Ubani stated that he was informed on Wednesday that Mrs
Olejeme has returned to the country and reported to the EFCC office
in Abuja to face the allegations against her.
Ubani noted that he has since forwarded a letter to the EFCC to
withdraw as surety for Olejeme.
Part of the statement by Ubani reads: ‘Just yesterday, two
years after I was wrongly detained by Magu’s EFCC, I got a call
from Abuja that Olejeme is back to the country and has
dutifully reported herself to EFCC. To say the least, I was
elated and grateful to God for answered prayers. Since she escaped,
she has intentionally refused to call or speak with me.
“She has her reasons, it may be out of fear or for some other
reasons best known to her. For now it is no longer my problem. She
is back to face her case and the onus is on EFCC to prove the theft
of N69billion against her. Newspaper and public trial
characterisation of Magu era is gone, perhaps for good.
“Let everyone accused of crime be given fair trial and let those
who are guilty be jailed while those who are innocent be discharged
and acquitted. That is how it is done in every civilized
clime.
“Please let everyone note that Anyone ACCUSED OF CRIME, NO
MATTER HOW GRIEVIOUS, is ENTITLED TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION. On
no account should public opinion be used to scare any diligent
lawyer from defending any accused person especially if the accused
person’s story is contrary to the spurious allegations by the
Prosecutor.
“I am not pronouncing Mrs Olejeme innocent but from what I
saw during her interview, the spurious figure of N69 billion is not
only ridiculous, it is downright stupid to market that kind
of figure to the public when the evidence on ground is nothing near
that.
“While we await the trial proceedings or whatever they want to
do with her, my ultimate joy is that I have been vindicated as I
have no hand in her escape. I never knew her while she was the
chairman of NSITF. I played the role of a patriot in bringing her
back and I am here giving glory to God for vindicating me.
” I have applied and withdrawn my suretyship of the woman from
EFCC. The letter to that effect was written and acknowledged
on 16th of April, 2021.”
Ubani also narrated how he had prayed that the former EFCC
chairman, Magu should be disgraced out of office for flagrantly
undermining his rights despite a valid court order for his release
from EFCC detention.
He said: “. I prayed two dangerous prayers while in and out of
detention. One is that as long as Ibrahim Magu has refused to see
the wrong he committed against me and has not apologised that God
should disgrace him out of office.
“Those who are close to me and those inmates with me at the EFCC
facility remembered this prayer point when it was answered. I
am not rejoicing at Magu’s fall but how I wish that men in power
will know and understand that power is transient and ephemeral.
“In his glory, Ibrahim Magu felt he has become God.
God will never share his glory with anyone. His rise and fall is
another story for another day.
“The second prayer was that Olejeme will never have peace of
mind whenever she is on planet earth until she comes back to answer
to her charges and prove that I neither wronged her nor
Nigeria.”
Former 2nd Vice-President of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr
Monday Ubani has said that the return of the former Chairman of
Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, Mrs Ngozi Olejeme to
the country to face allegations of N69billion fraud by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has vindicated him of any role
in her initial disappearance.
The EFCC had sometime in 2017 filed a fraud charge against
Olejeme alleging that she defrauded NSITF of over N64billion while
she was the chairman of the establishment.
Olejeme who was then outside the country for medical treatment
was persuaded by Ubani to return to Nigeria to clear herself of any
wrong doing in the alleged fraud.
Upon her return and subsequent interrogation by EFCC operatives,
Olejeme was released on administrative bail to Ubani despite having
provided two other sureties.
She later fled the country prompting the EFCC to detain Ubani
for about 23 days and requesting that he produce her.
In a lengthy statement posted on his social media handles late
Friday, Ubani stated that he was informed on Wednesday that Mrs
Olejeme has returned to the country and reported to the EFCC office
in Abuja to face the allegations against her.
Ubani noted that he has since forwarded a letter to the EFCC to
withdraw as surety for Olejeme.
Part of the statement by Ubani reads: ‘Just yesterday, two
years after I was wrongly detained by Magu’s EFCC, I got a call
from Abuja that Olejeme is back to the country and has
dutifully reported herself to EFCC. To say the least, I was
elated and grateful to God for answered prayers. Since she escaped,
she has intentionally refused to call or speak with me.
“She has her reasons, it may be out of fear or for some other
reasons best known to her. For now it is no longer my problem. She
is back to face her case and the onus is on EFCC to prove the theft
of N69billion against her. Newspaper and public trial
characterisation of Magu era is gone, perhaps for good.
“Let everyone accused of crime be given fair trial and let those
who are guilty be jailed while those who are innocent be discharged
and acquitted. That is how it is done in every civilized
clime.
“Please let everyone note that Anyone ACCUSED OF CRIME, NO
MATTER HOW GRIEVIOUS, is ENTITLED TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION. On
no account should public opinion be used to scare any diligent
lawyer from defending any accused person especially if the accused
person’s story is contrary to the spurious allegations by the
Prosecutor.
“I am not pronouncing Mrs Olejeme innocent but from what I
saw during her interview, the spurious figure of N69 billion is not
only ridiculous, it is downright stupid to market that kind
of figure to the public when the evidence on ground is nothing near
that.
“While we await the trial proceedings or whatever they want to
do with her, my ultimate joy is that I have been vindicated as I
have no hand in her escape. I never knew her while she was the
chairman of NSITF. I played the role of a patriot in bringing her
back and I am here giving glory to God for vindicating me.
” I have applied and withdrawn my suretyship of the woman from
EFCC. The letter to that effect was written and acknowledged
on 16th of April, 2021.”
Ubani also narrated how he had prayed that the former EFCC
chairman, Magu should be disgraced out of office for flagrantly
undermining his rights despite a valid court order for his release
from EFCC detention.
He said: “. I prayed two dangerous prayers while in and out of
detention. One is that as long as Ibrahim Magu has refused to see
the wrong he committed against me and has not apologised that God
should disgrace him out of office.
“Those who are close to me and those inmates with me at the EFCC
facility remembered this prayer point when it was answered. I
am not rejoicing at Magu’s fall but how I wish that men in power
will know and understand that power is transient and ephemeral.
“In his glory, Ibrahim Magu felt he has become God.
God will never share his glory with anyone. His rise and fall is
another story for another day.
“The second prayer was that Olejeme will never have peace of
mind whenever she is on planet earth until she comes back to answer
to her charges and prove that I neither wronged her nor
Nigeria.”