Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has played down reports that he was involved in a stinking bribe scandal during his time as the attorney-general of Lagos State.
Professor Yemi Osinbajo
The Presidency has denied the involvement of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo in a N10m bribe as claimed by former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Ishaya Bamaiyi (rtd).
Bamaiyi, in his book, “The Vindication of A General” alleged that Osinbanjo was directed to convict him and others within six months during the time, he, Osinbajo was Lagos State Attorney- General.
The former Army claims that Osinbajo shielded the then trial judge, Justice Ade Alabi, whom he accused of demanding a N10 million bribe from him.
However, the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, described Bamaiyi’s claims as blatant lies.
In a statement, Akande said Osinbajo was never called to Abuja or given any form of instruction on how to resolve the case.
According to Akande, “My attention has been drawn to claims made by General Bamaiyi in his book Vindication of a General, where he alleged that the then Attorney-General of Lagos State, Osinbajo, the trial judge, (in the criminal case of his “involvement” in the shooting of Alex Ibru) Justice Ade Alabi and the State Police Commissioner were called to Abuja and “directed to convict us at all costs within six months.”
“That Justice Ade Alabi asked for a N10m bribe through “one Mr. Martin” to facilitate his bail application in the case, and that the National Judicial Council panel composed to investigate the bribery allegation, protected the Judge.
“Specifically that Prof. Osinbajo “brought what he said was the panel report during one of the motions. Unfortunately, pages one through twenty-nine of the report were not produced.”While the Vice President, Osinbajo would take more comprehensive steps to address the evil insinuations made by the retired General, I have confirmed from him, i.e. Prof. Osinbajo, that he was never called to Abuja or at any time given any instructions on how to resolve the case. This blatant lie arose only from the fertile imagination of the author.
“Equally, the shifty recollections of the retired General about Prof. Osinbajo bringing a panel report with pages missing is as ludicrous as it is incongruous. For instance, is the author saying the then Lagos State Attorney-General was responsible for the NJC panel report? That would be incredible and clearly a mischievous proposition.”
Akande stated that Bamaiyi’s counsel, Mike Okoye, who argued the bail application for the former Army Chief had confessed in open court and in several newspaper public notices as ordered by Court that he lied against Justice Alabi.
“Okoye actually had to read his confession and apology in the open court in a case that involved such prominent lawyers like Chief F.R.A Williams, who in particular pressed that Okoye be held fully responsible for his wild accusations.
“It is incredible that after all of this, the author went on to mislead the public. What impudence!” the presidency stated,”