Coalition Urges Speaker Abass To Investigate Alleged $1.7M And Blackmail Allegations Against Ikenga Ugochinyere

A coalition of civil society organizations under the umbrella of the Northern Stakeholders Consultative Forum (NSCF) has urged the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass, to investigate allegations of corruption against a member of the House, Ikenga Ugochinyere.

The convener of the group, Alhaji Yerima Shettima; spokesman, Ali Mohammed Sani and secretary general, Danjuma Paul, at a Press Conference today in Kaduna, said if the allegations are not investigated, they pose a significant risk to Nigeria’s democratic foundations and must be addressed with utmost severity.

The coalition said its mission is to ensure that those who have been elected to serve the people adhere unwaveringly to their responsibilities.

It said: “Accountability lies at the very heart of a functioning democracy; when representatives err or engage in misconduct, it is the duty of us all to highlight these discrepancies and demand justice.

“In recent weeks, Nigeria has been enveloped in significant turmoil, particularly within the energy sector. This tumultuous climate, exacerbated by the ongoing tensions between the Dangote Refinery and regulatory bodies, compels us to reflect on the implications of the actions—or inactions—of our lawmakers.

“In light of our commitment to promoting transparency, we have undertaken an investigative approach regarding the recent crisis surrounding the joint committee tasked with overseeing the oil industry. Reports indicate that this committee has been disbanded, primarily due to egregious and unscrupulous conduct attributed to one of its co-chairmen, Hon. Ugochinyere Ikenga.

“Accusations against Mr. Ikenga suggest that he solicited a bribe of $10 million, from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) alongside the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

According to credible reports from the Daily Nigerian, Mr Ikenga has further been accused of boasting about his alleged payment of $1.7 million for his committee chairmanship—a claim that raises profound concerns about the integrity of our legislative processes.

“Our ongoing investigations have unearthed deeply troubling patterns of behaviour. As recently as July 4, 2024, unusual activities were reported around the House of Representatives premises. Subsequent inquiries unveiled that private investigators had been engaged by Mr. Ikenga, purportedly to gather information for blackmail against the Speaker of the House, Hon. Tajudeen Abass, as well as the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Kalu Benjamin.

“These actions appear to be aimed at assembling compromising evidence to intimidate them into allowing his continued leadership of the Committee on Petroleum (Downstream). In our quest for truth, we earnestly call upon the leadership of the House of Representatives to procure and review the CCTV footage from the House complex on the mentioned date.

“We are confident that these recordings will validate the claims, revealing various meetings held between Hon. Ikenga and the private investigators within his office premises. Alarmingly, it seems Mr Ikenga sought to obscure his conversations by augmenting the volume of television, mistakenly believing it would mask their dialogues from surveillance devices. However, we assert that these security measures successfully captured their exchanges, laying bare the malicious intent behind their actions.

“Moreover, we have uncovered indications that Mr Ikenga harbours aspirations to cultivate deleterious information about Deputy Speaker Kalu, whom he views as a potential rival. This rivalry appears to stem from the perception that Deputy Speaker Kalu operates as a facilitator for funds from the Dangote Refinery. Such dynamics illustrate a troubling environment, where personal ambitions overshadow civic duty.

“The unsettling reality we confront today reflects an Assembly that has deviated from the ideals of service and integrity—an institution where the corrupted ethos has permeated the legislative framework. The allegations against Hon. Ugochinyere Ikenga underscore a disconcerting narrative of exploitation and corruption, which is detrimental to the trust bestowed upon our legislative representatives.

“In the interest of restoring public confidence and institutional integrity, we implore the Speaker of the House to initiate a comprehensive investigation into these serious allegations, particularly concerning the activities of the disbanded committee. The broader implications of such behaviour—if left unchecked—pose a significant risk to our democratic foundations and must be addressed with the utmost severity.

“We urge all stakeholders to embrace our collective responsibility in this matter. We advocate for a transparent, accountable, and ethical legislative process, one that genuinely serves the Nigerian populace and reinstates faith in our democracy. Let us work together for the greater good, ensuring that the actions of our leaders are reflective of the values we espouse as a nation.”