Bankole arrested by EFCC

[emezico]

The game of wits the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, played with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ended on Sunday night with his arrest in Abuja.

He was picked up at his Asokoro, Abuja residence, where he had been hiding since Thursday by a team of EFCC operatives who had kept surveillance at the building.

Bankole had resisted arrest by the operatives last Friday, promising to turn himself in by 2pm today after allegedly making frantic telephone calls to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim.

Our correspondent learnt that before he was apprehended by about 10 EFCC opeartives in a room where he had locked up himself, his police orderlies had been withdrawn.

The operatives led by the commission's Director of Operations, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, were said to have tried for several hours before gaining entry into the room.

Bankole was evetually arrested around 8.20pm and was immediately taken in a Toyota Corolla to the EFCC headquarters in Wuse area of Abuja. He wore a pair of cream chinos trousers and a black T-shirt.

The former speaker looked downcast and did not speak to anybody as he was whisked into the EFCC premises and into a cell with only a small mattress.

EFCC spokesman, Femi Babafemi, who confirmed the development said Bankole had resisted arrest for over four hours.

Babafemi said, "The EFCC Chairman, Mrs Farida Waziri was compelled to order the immediate arrest of Mr. Bankole after analysing an intelligence report which showed that he was planning to leave Abuja for Lagos on Sunday evening and thereafter flee the country through an illegal route.


Source: The Punch