PETITION ASKING ICPC TO INVESTIGATE AND POSSIBLY PROSECUTE ANDY UBA BEFORE HE CONTESTS THE FORTHCOMING ELECTION IN ANAMBRA STATE.
Friday, September 24, 2021.
The Chairman,
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission,
Plot 802, Constitution Avenue,
Zone A9,
Central Area,
Abuja, Nigeria.
THROUGH:
Lagos State Office
10, Okotie Eboh Street,
South-West Ikoyi,
Lagos State.
Dear Sir,
PETITION ASKING ICPC TO INVESTIGATE AND POSSIBLY PROSECUTE ANDY UBA BEFORE HE CONTESTS THE FORTHCOMING ELECTION IN ANAMBRA STATE.
The attention of The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has been drawn to a publication by Premium Times of September 20, 2021 in which Mr Andy Uba was accused of unbridled corruption, advance fee fraud and money laundering. To this end, we hereby petition your distinguished office to investigate and prosecute if need be, the allegations against Andy Uba, a Nigerian politician, indicted some years back for smuggling dollars to the U.S and pound to the UK, and who is presently a gubernatorial candidate of one of the political parties in the upcoming governorship election in Anambra State.
We learnt from the publication that Mr. Uba was subject of a U.S investigation into an advance fee fraud scheme, known as 419 in Nigeria, according to the U.S government.
In the UK, he was said to have been barred from entering. The authorities said the Nigerian politician was associated with “fraud and other criminal activities”, and that “his presence in the UK would not be conducive to the public good”.
Mr. Uba, otherwise known as Emmanuel Uba, allegedly ran into trouble with the American government in 2003 for smuggling $170,000 into the U.S, using Nigeria’s presidential aircraft which flew into New York for a meeting of the United Nations.
He concealed the bulk cash, failed to declare it at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, and later handed it over to his girlfriend, contrary to the U.S law which he was familiar with as a regular traveller and as someone who had lived in the U.S before, according to court papers released by the American government.
The U.S. government seized the $170,000 after going through legal processes in which Mr. Uba and his girlfriend, Loretta Mabinton, were represented by lawyers.
Mr. Uba also allegedly ran into trouble with the UK government, and was barred from entering that European country. “On the basis of your character, conduct and association with fraud and other criminal activities, your presence in the UK would not be conducive to the public good and the Home Secretary has therefore decided that you should be excluded from all territories of the United Kingdom,” the UK authorities told Mr. Uba in a December 2, 2008 letter informing him of a decision to revoke his multiple visit visa to the UK, a document from a London court revealed.
Despite his being barred, Mr Uba attempted to enter the UK on December 24, 2008, in a private jet. The UK authorities turned him back at London Luton Airport, after confiscating a large amount of cash, about €135,000 from him.
The UK authorities said he also had “a large quantity of gold jewellery in his possession”. The UK government said they suspected that the money was “from crime, or that it would be used for a criminal purpose”. Surprisingly, €100,000 of the cash found on Mr Uba, “subsequently became unaccounted for and later formed the subject of investigations”. The remaining sum, the court document said, was seized by the UK government under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and subsequently forfeited by order of the Court.
CACOL, as you are aware, is an aggregate of human rights, community based and civil society organizations and individuals with an anti-corruption and openness in governance agenda across Nigeria. It is a non-political, non-religious, non-sectarian, non-profit organization.
Sir, we are encouraged to submit this petition to you based on our resolve to always expose any corrupt act(s) being perpetrated by anyone either in public or private sphere and also our convictions that a person whose integrity and personality has been discredited and indicted by foreign countries, lacks the moral rectitude to preside over the affairs of our people at the state level especially when we have more credible, trustworthy, honest, dependable and reliable people in and from that state.
Moreover, this petition is directed at your good offices, knowing that statutorily, it is the primary responsibility of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate and prosecute this kind of cases and we have no doubt that you will do due diligence in carrying out this assignment for public good. This is to prevent what once happened in Delta State where a “common thief” was voted as Governor of that State.
We are thanking you for your anticipated cooperation, detailed investigation and diligent prosecution if need be.
We would also urge you to please keep us posted about the progress being made on the case from time to time.
Yours in service to humanity.
Debo Adeniran
Chairman, CACOL
08037194969,
dadnig@yahoo.com
cacolc@yahoo.com
www.deboadeniran.com
Reference:
Nigerian politician indicted in U.S, U.K, may become governor