A Justice of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice John Inyang Okoro has revealed how he was visited by a serving minister of the President Muhammad Buhari cabinet, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi and offered heavy bribe to rig election appeals in respect of Akwa Ibom, Abia and Rivers states in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidates.
In a four page letter addressed to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, which was leaked to the media by unnamed sources, the Supreme Court Justice alleged further that Amaechi stated that he sponsored Umana Umana’s bid for the top political post in Akwa Ibom, and said that the President of Nigeria and the APC mandated him (Amaechi) to inform Okoro that they must win their election.
The letter reads, “For Akwa Ibom State he alleged that he sponsored Mr. Umana Umana, candidate of All Progressives Congress for that election and if he lost Akwa Ibom appeal, he would have lost a fortune. Mr. Amaechi also said that he had already visited you and that you had agreed to make me a member of the panel that would hear the appeals. He further told me that Mr. Umana would be paying me millions of Naira if I cooperated with them.
“My Lord will recall I also reported that Mr. Umana Umana visited my residence before Amaechi’s visit. He also made the same request of assistance to win his appeal at the Supreme court.”
Okoro in his letter to the Supreme Court, chief justice said the DSS raided his home without him knowing what his offence was and that there was indeed no petition or complaint against him from any quarters. He said the DSS raided his house and carted away an iPad, $38,000 and N3.5 million.
Okoro said the money found in his home was unspent portion of his estacode entitlement which he receives from the Supreme Court annually. Supreme Court justices receive $24,000 and £10,000 annually for medical and vacation.
Allegations of corruption have trailed former Governor Rotimi Amaechi ever since his tenure as Governor of Rivers State, however the Buhari administration has yet to commence any serious investigation on Amaechi and his Lagos state counterpart, Power and Infrastructure minister, Babatunde Fashola, who have both been alleged to have been major financiers of the President’s 2015 election campaign, and have overwhelming allegations of corruption trailing their political careers.
The full letter from Okoro to the Supreme Court Chief is attached below:
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