N10 MILLION BRIBE: IYABO OBASANJO ON THE RUN ...AS EFCC WANTS INTERPOL INTERVENTION

Iyabo Obasanjo Bello

Senator Obasanjo-Bello was alleged to have collected N10 million proceeds of fraud from officials of the Federal Ministry of Health on behalf of her committee, Senate Committee on Health.

All the dramatis personae in the alleged N300 million fraud at the Federal Ministry of Health, including former minister, Prof. Adenike Grange and the former Minister of State for health, Architect Gabriel Aduku were arraigned before an Abuja High Court yesterday on a 56-count charge of fraud.

Others docked yesterday were the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Prof. Simon Ogandi, Dr. A.B. Oyedepo (Director of Finance), Hanati Mohammed, Donald Ekanem, Donatus Inyang, Olomo J.A, Obanla Emmanuel Olatunbosun, Henry Onyeagwualam and Edem Augustine Bassey.

The last two counts in the 56-count charge (55 and 56) were specifically directed at Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello.

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Count 55 reads: "That you, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello (now at large) sometime between December 2007 and March 2008, at Abuja within the judicial division of the FCT while serving as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health in the National Assembly dishonestly retained the sum of N10 million belonging to the Federal government, having reason to believe same to be stolen property and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 317 of the Panel Code, Act (Cap 352) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990, Abuja."

Though Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello was not in court when the charges were read to the accused persons, officials of EFCC vowed that everything would be done to bring her for trial.

A source at the EFCC told P.M.News this morning that the commission had contacted Interpol to arrest Iyabo in any part of the world she is found.

Iyabo, who is said to have travelled to Cuba with members of the Senate Committee on Health, it was learnt, may be arrested by the Interpol in Cuba and brought to Nigeria to answer fraud charges against her.

"We are looking for her. We have already contacted Interpol and once we arrest her, she will be brought to Nigeria and made to face trial," an EFCC source told P.M.News.