The former speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, spent his first day in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday without taking meals given to him by operatives of the commission.


Bankole whose arrest on Sunday attracted mixed reactions on Monday, was said to have relied only on meals brought to him by people believed to be his relatives


An EFCC source, who made this known to our correspondent, also claimed that the anti-graft agency had obtained court orders to execute search warrants at the former speaker’s homes in Lagos and Abeokuta.


“He (Bankole) has not been eating the meals that we gave to him. He prefers the ones brought to him from people from outside. But that is not of serious concern to us. The good news is that we have court orders to search his apartments in Lagos and his home state,” he said.


When asked to name the court(s) that gave the orders, the source, who did not want his name in print because he was not permitted to make comments on Bankole’s arrest declined, citing ‘confidentiality.’


He, however, disclosed that the former speaker’s lawyers had visited the commission’s headquarters to discuss bail conditions for him , but were told that investigations were ongoing.


The source added that the outcome of Bankole’s interrogation would determine the commission’s next line of action, particularly as it affected other lawmakers who had been linked to the N10bn loan scam that partly led to the former speaker’s arrest.


“Nobody will dictate to us what we will do. When we get to that point we shall decide,” the source said.


When contacted, the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said Bankole, had an option to eat the food provided by the commission or brought to him by any of his family members or friends.


The commission is also investigating petitions against the former speaker for his role in the N2.3bn car scandal that rocked the House as well as the management of the N9bn capital budget of the House for 2008/2009.


Meanwhile, some Nigerians have urged the EFCC to arrest and investigate other lawmakers while others described Bankole’s arrest as a charade.


In his reaction, Human Rights Lawyer, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the EFCC should ensure thorough investigation of the scandals in the sixth National Assembly.


“The arrest should not stop with the former Speaker, every member of the National Assembly in the last dispensation should be investigated and those found culpable must be brought to book’’ Aturu said.


He described Bankole’s arrest as “embarrassing to the nation, morally indefensible and legally untenable.”


“Bankole occupied a moral position in Nigeria. He was morally and legally bound to submit himself to the EFCC for questioning rather than trying to resist it,’’ Aturu said.


The Human Rights Lawyer, however, commended the EFCC for once again showing that nobody was above the law in Nigeria.


The Chairman of the National Action Council , Dr. Olapade Agoro, urged the EFCC “to ensure that a good job was made of Bankole’s arrest.’’


According to him that “the conduct of the Speaker prior to the arrest was a disgrace to the youths of Nigeria.”


He added “It is more saddening that a young man who got over N100m per quarter should have his name mentioned in any form of financial allegations.


“Even the allegations against Mrs. Patricia Etteh who was disgraced out of office as Speaker was a child’s play, compared to the current allegations emanating from the House.’’


Also, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties in the South-West said that the arrest should not end as a mere fanfare.


It said through its Secretary , Mr Austin Nnorom, t that justice must be seen to have been carried out by the EFCC on the allegations.


“If the former Speaker is to be acquitted of the allegations, Nigerians must be shown proof of his innocence and vice-versa,’’ the conference said.


However, the Coalition of Oodua Self-Determination Groups through its Director of Strategy, Razaq Oladosu , said the EFCC was playing on the emotions of Nigerians with the arrest.


It said “The commission was quoted in the media to have set up two committees on Sunday that would investigate the Speaker after giving impressions to Nigerians that investigations had been concluded.


“The former speaker or anyone else, would be a fool not to have tied up loose ends because there was adequate time since the EFCC started harping on the arrest to cover any such tracks.’’


The group added that a sincere war on corruption must start with a change in the leadership of the EFCC that had “indicted more persons on the pages of newspapers than in actuality.”
http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201106075174732

Did i hear you say Bank Ole?