Former governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori has replied erstwhile chairman of Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, on his famous claim that he (Ibori) approached him with $15million to stop his investigation.
Ibori described the claim as horrible, revolting, nasty and totally untrue.
Ribadu, in a recent interview, insisted that Ibori pressurized him with several billions to sweep his case under the carpet.
Ibori while reacting to the claim through a statement by his media assistant, Tony Eluemunor, described Ribadu’s claim as watery and laughable.
He said, “As the Senate and some security agencies appear to be asking questions about some unwholesome events at the EFCC, including the mismanagement and criminal diversion of funds from the sale of confiscated properties into personal pockets, Ribadu may have a need to attempt to burnish his fading image, fearing the investigations may ask questions about events during his tenure.
“But he should be told that lying, against even an enemy, just to gain some unearned applause and perhaps fence off some approaching investigation and image disaster,must have a limit,” the statement said.
Ribadu had stated that: “Ibori approached me with $15million to stop his investigation. I called my people because the money was in big bags, which two people could not carry and we deposited it in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as evidence against him”.
According to Eluemunor, “This nonsensical statement has remained in the public domain only because some people have suspended their sense of disbelief and condemned themselves to every hogwash that Ribadu invents in the attempt spruce himself up in borrowed plums”.
“It is on record that Ribadu has made at least five statements over this same claim, and no single one agreed with another. Also both Ibrahim Lamorde (the immediate past EFCC Chairman) and one James Garba, a CBN staff then seconded to the EFCC, made police statements which contradicted Ribadu’s.
“Even Senator Andy Uba said in a statement that EFCC collected the said money from his house.