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PETITION ASKING EFCC TO INVESTIGATE AND POSSIBLY PROSECUTE UNITED BANK OF AFRICA AND FIDELITY BANK FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN ABDULRASHEED MAINA’S MONEY LAUNDERING CASE.

Friday, November 12, 2021.

The Chairman,

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,

Plot 301/302, Research and Institutions District

Abuja,

Nigeria.

THROUGH:

Lagos State Office

No. 15A, Awolowo Road,

Ikoyi,

Lagos,

Nigeria.

Dear Sir,

PETITION ASKING EFCC TO INVESTIGATE AND POSSIBLY PROSECUTE UNITED BANK OF AFRICA AND FIDELITY BANK FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN ABDULRASHEED MAINA’S MONEY LAUNDERING CASE.

With the highest regard to you and your office, The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) hereby petitions your office to investigate and possibly prosecute United Bank of Africa and Fidelity Bank PLC for their involvement in money laundering case involving a former chairman of now-defunct Pension Reforms Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina who has just been sentenced to 8 years imprisonment.

From your investigations as revealed during the court processes, United Bank of Africa and Fidelity Bank PLC were culpable for aiding fraud and were used by Maina as “conduit” to defraud pensioners and they ought to have been charged alongside Maina.

We understand that, Fidelity Bank provided the channels with which the convict (Abdulrasheed Maina) used in defrauding the federal government, and for this reason the license of the bank ought to have been withdrawn as the bank benefitted from the proceeds of illegal transactions.

Even the judge, Justice Okon Abang declared that the convict, through the assistance of Fidelity Bank Plc, deprived the pensioners that gave their all to this country in their youthful age, their legitimate earnings, “Whereas the convict was feeding fat on their sweat in faraway Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), buying choice properties, driving bulletproof cars, living in affluence beyond his legitimate earnings”.

To this end, we hereby call for appropriate sanctions to be meted out to these banks which may include the withdrawal of their operating licenses, punishment and prosecution of offending bank officials.

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.

Moreover, this petition is directed at your good offices, knowing that statutorily, it is the primary responsibility of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) 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.

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

cc:

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)