There are strong indications that former
President Goodluck Jonathan may have gone
into temporary self exile in Cote d’Ivoire,
following reports that the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may
arrest him on his arrival in Nigeria from his
overseas tour on allegations of corruption
and misappropriation of billions of dollars in
the five years during which he was Head of
State, THISDAY has learnt.
President Goodluck Jonathan may have gone
into temporary self exile in Cote d’Ivoire,
following reports that the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may
arrest him on his arrival in Nigeria from his
overseas tour on allegations of corruption
and misappropriation of billions of dollars in
the five years during which he was Head of
State, THISDAY has learnt.
Several sources close to the ex-president,
who confirmed that Jonathan had sought
refuge last week in the West African country,
also blamed the heightened attacks on oil
and gas installations by Ijaw militants in the
Niger Delta, resulting in the loss of an
estimated 800,000-900,000 barrels of crude
oil per day (bpd), to what they claimed was
“the decision by President Muhammadu
Buhari to renege on his promise that his
predecessor had ‘nothing to fear’ from him
(Buhari) after he handed over the reins of
power on May 29, 2015”.
who confirmed that Jonathan had sought
refuge last week in the West African country,
also blamed the heightened attacks on oil
and gas installations by Ijaw militants in the
Niger Delta, resulting in the loss of an
estimated 800,000-900,000 barrels of crude
oil per day (bpd), to what they claimed was
“the decision by President Muhammadu
Buhari to renege on his promise that his
predecessor had ‘nothing to fear’ from him
(Buhari) after he handed over the reins of
power on May 29, 2015”.
Immediately after his electoral victory in
2015 and at his presidential inauguration,
Buhari, in what was seen as a political
gesture, had stated that he would not go
after his successor, despite allegations that
the former president had presided over
widespread corruption during his five years
in the saddle.
However, since Jonathan’s departure, anti-
corruption agencies led by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
have swept in on several associates of the
former president on allegations of money
laundering, diversion of public funds and
contract scams, mostly linked to defence
sector contracts and the purchase of arms
used for the prosecution of the war against
Boko Haram in the North-east.
In recent weeks, the EFCC has in addition to
arresting and prosecuting several public
office holders who served under the
Jonathan administration, arrested some of
the closest allies of the former president
including his cousin, Mr. Aziobola Robert, in
connection to a $40 million pipeline
surveillance contract, and his former
principal secretary and confidant Mr. Hassan
Tukur.
These arrests were said to have shaken the
former president, given that they were the
two persons closest to him during his
presidency.
A source, who spoke to THISDAY on
Jonathan’s decision to give Nigeria a wide
berth, said the former president was reliably
warned by security sources of the plan to
arrest him once he stepped into the country,
hence his decision to seek exile in Cote
d’Ivoire.
Jonathan, the source disclosed, departed
Nigeria for the United States almost two
months ago travelling to several cities but
stayed in New York for some two weeks.
After departing the US, he travelled to
London to be with his children for a few
days, preparatory to his return to Nigeria.
But while in the UK, he was warned by
sympathetic officials in different arms of
government of the government’s decision to
arrest him once he returned to Nigeria.
On getting wind of the plan, Jonathan,
THISDAY gathered, contacted a few West
African leaders including the President of
Cote d’Iviore, Mr. Alassane Outtara, who
offered him a safe haven until the coast is
clear for him to return to Nigeria.
Sources close to the president said since
the information of the government’s resolve
to arrest Jonathan swept through the Niger
Delta, Ijaw militants have gone berserk and
stepped up their attacks on oil and gas
installations in the region. They are said to
be hell bent on shutting down oil output
completely.
One source said the militants are targeting
all onshore and shallow water installations,
from where Nigeria derives the bulk of 90
per cent of its foreign exchange earnings and
may head for the deep offshore oil fields if
the federal government does not back down.
all onshore and shallow water installations,
from where Nigeria derives the bulk of 90
per cent of its foreign exchange earnings and
may head for the deep offshore oil fields if
the federal government does not back down.
“Perhaps the only installations that may not
be affected in the interim by militant attacks
are those in the deep offshore basin
because they are more difficult to reach and
would require large vessels to access,” said
the source who, however, added that “during
the last militant crises we went as far as
shutting down the Bonga deep water oil
field”.
be affected in the interim by militant attacks
are those in the deep offshore basin
because they are more difficult to reach and
would require large vessels to access,” said
the source who, however, added that “during
the last militant crises we went as far as
shutting down the Bonga deep water oil
field”.
In order to stem the renewed wave of
attacks, governors in the region have
scrambled and sent teams to the creeks to
placate the militants, but so far their efforts
appear to have fallen on deaf ears.
attacks, governors in the region have
scrambled and sent teams to the creeks to
placate the militants, but so far their efforts
appear to have fallen on deaf ears.
The governors are particularly concerned that
the attacks on oil installations would hurt
the Niger Delta states the most due to the
attendant decline in revenue.
When contacted on the plan by the
government to arrest Jonathan and his
purported exile, Buhari’s media adviser, Mr.
Femi Adesina, said he was not aware that
the former president was in exile, adding
that questions on his arrest could only be
addressed by the security and law
enforcement agencies.
Source:Thisday Newspaper
