During the #EndSARS debate by UK Parliament, a member of the UK Parliament identified as Tom Tugendhat made a controversial statement that sparked reactions in Nigeria.

Tom Tugendhat accused ex Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon of looting half of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In his words:

Some people will remember when General Gowon left Nigeria with half of the Central Bank, so it is said, and moved to London.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP1WhuRAkoA


Now, Who Is Tom Tugendhat?

Lt Col Thomas Georg John Tugendhat MBE VR (born 27 June 1973) is a British Conservative Party politician serving as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee since 2017. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tonbridge and Malling since 2015. Before entering politics, amongst other roles, Tugendhat was a Territorial Army officer in the British Army.

Early life and education
Tom Tugendhat is the son of the High Court Judge Sir Michael Tugendhat and his French wife Blandine de Loisne. He is the nephew of fellow Conservative politician Christopher Tugendhat, Baron Tugendhat. After attending St Paul's School, London, Tugendhat studied Theology at the University of Bristol, before doing a Masters in Islamic studies at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and learning Arabic in Yemen.

Tugendhat holds dual British and French citizenship. His wife is a French judge and senior civil servant, and his father-in-law is a French diplomat, the lead OSCE mediator in Ukraine.

Military career
On 6 July 2003, Tugendhat was commissioned into the Educational and Training Services Branch of the Adjutant General's Corps, Territorial Army, British Army, as a second lieutenant (on probation).[6] His Territorial Army commission was confirmed on 16 July 2003. He transferred to the Intelligence Corps on 29 July 2003.

He was promoted to lieutenant on 16 July 2005, captain on 1 April 2007, and to major on 1 January 2010. He was apparently operating as a Territorial Army lieutenant colonel by July 2013.

Tugendhat undertook military service on operations during the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan. He also served, in a civilian capacity, for the Foreign Office in Afghanistan and helped set up the National Security Council of Afghanistan and the government in Helmand Province. He later served as one of the military assistants to the Chief of the Defence Staff.

Political career
Tugendhat was elected as the Member of Parliament for Tonbridge and Malling, the safe Conservative seat in Kent at the 2015 General Election, with an increased vote share and larger majority than his predecessor.

In October 2015, Tugendhat accused Iran of arming insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. He wrote that "Through the Quds Force, the special forces unit of the regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, it has killed British troops and plotted to assassinate diplomats in Washington DC. The ayatollahs have nurtured terrorists around the world."

Tugendhat supported continued membership of the European Union in the 2016 referendum. He voted in favour of the withdrawal agreement negotiated by Theresa May's government on each of the three occasions it was put to a vote.

Tugendhat is a strong supporter of Israel. He condemned the United Nations Security Council for its official criticism of Israel's settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territories. In January 2017, he wrote that the Israeli–Palestinian conflict "doesn’t matter".

On 12 July 2017, Tugendhat was elected chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, becoming the youngest person ever to hold the post. Soon after the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury by a nerve agent, Tugendhat said the attack was "if not an act of war … certainly a warlike act by the Russian Federation".

In February 2018, Tugendhat praised Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying that "He is rightly showing a vision for Saudi Arabia that sees her taking her place as a player in the global economy and I think that is incredibly positive, not just for Saudi Arabia, but for the world."

Under Tugendhat's chairmanship the Foreign Affairs Committee has focused on British foreign policy priorities after Brexit. Other significant enquiries have covered: the implications of China's growing role in the international system, the UK's relationship with India, and the Responsibility to Protect.

On 21 May 2018, the Foreign Affairs Committee published a report on Russian Corruption and the UK. This drew attention to the ability of President Vladimir Putin and his allies to launder assets through London, and called on the UK Government to "show stronger political leadership in ending the flow of dirty money into the UK". The report criticised the law firm Linklaters for its unwillingness to give evidence to the committee about the nature of working in the Russian Federation today.

On 29 May 2018 Tugendhat set out his own views on British foreign policy in a speech at the Royal United Services Institute. He advocated giving the Foreign and Commonwealth Office greater powers to determine overall foreign policy strategy.

Following the December 2019 general election he attacked the antisemitism he had faced during the campaign. "It was a campaign that wasn't as always as clean as previous ones. For the first time I faced antisemitism, which I found particularly offensive and very surprising for a community like this and frankly rather distasteful. It's very un-Tonbridge, it's very un-Kent and it's very un-British. ... I would hope that type of attitude is going to leave our politics for good."

Tugendhat was re-elected chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee on 29 January 2020.

China Research Group
In April 2020 Tugendhat became the first head of the China Research Group, formed by Conservative MPs (although MPs from other parties are also involved) to gain a "better understanding of China's economic ambitions and global role". This is to include Huawei's role in the UK's 5G network, China's Covid-19 alleged disinformation campaign, and its foreign policy - in particular its relations with poorer regions of the world. Tugendhat is considered by some to be a China hawk in the UK parliament, alongside Bob Seely and Iain Duncan Smith.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Tugendhat

Meanwhile, some notable Nigerians such as Akinwumi Adesina, Senator Shehu Sani, FFK and others have come to Gowon's defence.

More so, General Gowon has reacted to the allegation, rubbishing it.

Let's not be emotional about this. Yakubu Gowon was in Ethiopia attending a meeting when he was overthrown. So how did he then move half of CBN? Did he come back to Nigeria to tell the new military govt to give him half of the CBN treasury? Impossible.

Ezmans:
your logic is too poor

Bring up your own "superior" logic.
The guy said the man LEFT NIGERIA with half of CBN money. Actually, Gowon went to the UK FROM ETHIOPIA after he learned of his ouster. So it doesn't add up.


MODIFIED: For all of you quoting me misunderstanding my logic, it's the lawmaker who didn't use the right words. He said Yakubu 'left Nigeria with half of CBN' meaning the looting was after he was overthrown and was done at once. He should have said "Yakubu stole half of the CBN while he was the head of state".

This too must trend....?

he is not a Nigerian politician, I believe he has his facts before making his statement,corruption did not start in Nigeria today ,politicians have become more aggressive with their stealing.

Look at his fl@head




Our fellow Africans don't believe whatever comes out of the mouth of a politician without providing evidence.













Except he is a white man

When I saw the guy's head I no bother read the epistle


Check my signature

RenaissanceGuy:
I don't even believe that his trash. Yakubu Gowon was in Ethiopia attending a meeting when he was overthrown. So how did he then move half of CBN? Did he come back to Nigeria to tell the new military govt to give him half of the CBN treasury?

Gowon ruled for 9 years, he must have anticipated what will happen. A coup, And stock up for the rainy day.

2. Nigeria was at war, he must have transferred his earnings out of nigeria for safety.

Gowon is the best thing that happened to Nigeria after Buhari and 1914

felixzo1:
he is not a Nigerian politician, I believe he has his facts before making his statement,corruption did not start in Nigeria today ,politicians have become more aggressive with their stealing.

bless u

CLOUT HAS BEING IN EXISTENCE FOR CENTURIES

Where is his proof Gowon took half of CBN? Like what does he even mean by saying Gowon took half of CBN?

God bless you Tugendhat, my man of the year 2020

You think the British parliament members are not laughing everyday when our lawmakers down here quote spurious skyrocketing amount for meager projects.

The British people are not saints though, but when it comes to the house of common, there is integrity, tranquility and sense of belonging. That’s why when a house member is accused of something, they outrightly step down/resign and apologize immediately.

Whatever this man is accusing gowon of, he knows his onions well and gowon should come out and speak for himself with facts and not just statements. He shouldn’t leave such task to Zombies to defend for him. Atleast he is not deaf nor blind!

Facts are gradually coming

Watch out as some hungry fuckers will support Gowon. What a sane person should be talking about is evidence. If the MP has evidence let him bring it out, cus naija stealing and looting did not start today, the whole looting started even before the fucking so called independence

RenaissanceGuy:
I don't even believe that his trash. Yakubu Gowon was in Ethiopia attending a meeting when he was overthrown. So how did he then move half of CBN? Did he come back to Nigeria to tell the new military govt to give him half of the CBN treasury?

Yenyenyen

Gerrarahia

RenaissanceGuy:
I don't even believe that his trash. Yakubu Gowon was in Ethiopia attending a meeting when he was overthrown. So how did he then move half of CBN? Did he come back to Nigeria to tell the new military govt to give him half of the CBN treasury?

your logic is too poor

These our useless leaders and their zombies go wail tire.
Una damage control go fail, Nigerian eyes are opening day by day.

Gowon is nothing but a greedy criminal in an angel's mask

Coldie:
Any igbo man that does not like Gowon needs his head checked.

Gowon did what no igbo man could ever do, Gowon will die and have peace but so many of our igbo warlords only God knows their fates

And what does this have to do with igbos? Them use igbos swear for una life?

half of centre bank

Ever since he made that statement my heart has since been praying for Lai Mohammed not to watch/hear the statement cuz Tugendhat would prolly be in a deep shit if Lai does, as we all know CNN are still yet to recover from his Dealings, many of CNN's journalist are either in Kuje now cooling off or in DSS custody. Lai would waste no time having a Battalion of Man o' war taking care of Tugendhat and the whole house of common for accepting him in the first place

He looks like a frustrated serial killer who was denied his latest victim.

RenaissanceGuy:
Let's not be emotional about this. Yakubu Gowon was in Ethiopia attending a meeting when he was overthrown. So how did he then move half of CBN? Did he come back to Nigeria to tell the new military govt to give him half of the CBN treasury? Impossible

That is why you are that dumb... you think moving CBN is by putting money in your car trunk.

See how Nigerians are standing up to defend corruption. You think the UK government will not know a trace of the money inflows into their country like your own CBN and government. For him to confidently say it and reminding his colleagues about how gowon looted half of our national treasury means it is an open secret and not an allegation

Yakubu - oleeeee.
Gowonu- oleèeeee.

felixzo1:
he is not a Nigerian politician, I believe he has his facts before making his statement,corruption did not start in Nigeria today ,politicians have become more aggressive with their stealing.

You believe without proof?? Guy, you are only reinforcing your bias.

Things dey happen.

History is unravelling.

Bring History back to our Educational system.
Even though some of the information in our History as Nigerians might be untrue, it will help reawaken our self consciousness.

We need to grow individually and as a Nation.
Like sane Human beings.

Only the wicked run when nobody is chasing.

Then plenty, not only gowon......

RenaissanceGuy:
Let's not be emotional about this. Yakubu Gowon was in Ethiopia attending a meeting when he was overthrown. So how did he then move half of CBN? Did he come back to Nigeria to tell the new military govt to give him half of the CBN treasury? Impossible

He wasn't head of state for one day. He was head of state for 9 years.

E don tey wey looting start for naija..