Group accuses ex-Appropriation chair, Jibrin, of operating foreign bank account as lawmakers duty resume tomorrow.

A group, Anti-Corruption Unit, on Sunday accused the former Chairman of House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin, of running a bank account in the United Kingdom.

The group said Mr. Jibrin allegedly contravened Nigerian civil service rules which forbid elected public officeholders from operating a foreign bank account while in office.

The allegations come as the lawmakers are returning to Abuja after a two-month-long recess.

In a statement signed by its director, Ifeanyi Okonkwo, the ACU said Mr. Jibrin operated a bank account in the Channel Islands, UK.

Mr. Okonkwo emailed what appeared to be a bank account statement from Dutch banking giant, ING Group, to PREMIUM TIMES.

“Details of the account statement obtained by some lawyers in the UK show that Jibrin has a total £1.558 million pounds (N825 million equivalent) in the account between June 1, 2016 and June 30, 2016,” Mr. Okonkwo said. “Jibrin, however, withdrew the sum of £623.44 within the one month period bringing the balance in the account to £1, 376,193.84.”

But PREMIUM TIMES understands from the bank statement that the £623.44 debit was annual equivalent rate deduction and not a withdrawal.

“Jibrin opened the account with his address at 453 Crankbrook Road, Ilford Essex IG2 6EW,” Mr. Okonkwo said.

A reverse search done on the address showed that it was used by a company in which one Abdulmumin Jibrin born in September 1976 was a director until 2012.

Mr. Jibrin, the lawmaker, was born on September 9, 1976.

“Jibrin’s ownership of foreign account contravenes the provisions of the 1999 constitution which bars public officer from owning and operating foreign account,” Mr. Okonkwo said.

Mr. Okonkwo said Mr. Jibrin’s alleged ownership of the account is part of the evidence he included in a petition he planned to submit to the EFCC on Monday morning.

Mr.  Jibrin was chairman of the Appropriation Committee until July 20.

It is not immediately clear if the revelation was part of the media war over the scandal.

Mr. Jibrin did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES’ request for comment, but a message he posted on his Twitter account said the ACU allegations marked the  “latest blackmail” against him.