Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, yesterday, exonerated Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki of allegation of importing a vehicle allegedly cleared with fake documents but was later impounded by the Nigerian Customs.
In a press release signed by Sarakai’s, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu stated that ‘’Reading the 10-page report of the committee by its chairman, Senator Sam Anyanwu said from all evidence taken during the two days that the committee sat, Saraki has nothing to do with the importation of the vehicle.”
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu presided over plenary as Saraki stepped down as the committee was to submit its report on investigative hearing.
The matter has been referred to the committee on 21 March, 2017 following a complaint on the floor by Senator Ali Ndume who “drew the attention of the Senate to “insinuation by the media that the invitation of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) by the Senate was informed by the seizure of a bullet-proof SUV vehicle belonging to the Senate President.
Ndume added that the SUV Jeep was allegedly to be cleared with fake National Assembly documents but seized by the Customs Services, and therefore urged the Senate to look into the matter.
However, the committee stated that from the evidence of the importer, Mr Tokunbo Akindele, the car dealer, Mr. Lanre Shittu, Chairman of the Senate Services Committee, Senator Ibrahim Gobir and the Senate President, “the National Assembly does not import cars, it only buy cars” and “the car was not cleared with National Assembly documents.”
According to the report, the importer of the vehicle, Akindele told the committee that “ he was not approached by Senator Bukola Saraki or the National Assembly to import the bullet-proof Range Rover” while the car dealer, Shittu also said “he was not contracted by the Senate President or National Assembly to import the car; that he only sold it to the National Assembly as an SUV fully cleared, that he no longer needed.”
