By ENIOLA AKINKUOTU, Abuja

Over 16,000 people have signed a petition on Change.Org calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate All Progressives Congress leader, Bola Tinubu.

The petition, which was started a week ago by Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, had garnered 16, 243 signatures as of 9.30 am on Friday.

The petition is titled, ‘Calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate Bola Tinubu for contravening the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2011, by having bullion vans ferry alleged large sums of money into his house on the eve of the 2019 Presidential election’.

Omokri wrote, “Dear citizens of Nigeria, let’s take our country back by signing this petition to compel the EFCC to investigate and prosecute Bola Tinubu for contravening the Money Laundering Act, by ferrying bullion vans into his house. Don’t say ‘na today’, or ‘leave matter’.

“We as Nigerians must stop confusing cynicism for wisdom. If we do not fight for our country, who will? George Floyd’s death sparked a revolution in America and we joined. We did not say ‘na today’, or ‘leave matter’. You and I can make a difference with this petition. #EFCCMustInvestigateTinubu.”

Tinubu had while responding to questions on the bullion vans in his home, said he was free to give anyone money since he was holding no government position.

He had said, “Is it my money or government money? I don’t work for the government. I am not in an agency of government and let anybody come out and say I have taken any contract from the government of President Mohammed Buhari, APC in the last five years.

“They should prove it. I am on my own and I’m committed to my party. So, even if I have money to spend on my premises, what is your headache? Excuse me, if I don’t represent any agency of government and if I have money to spend…., if I have money, if I like I give it to the people free of charge, as long as is not to buy votes…..who are those watching my house looking for bullion vans? They must be mischief-makers.”

Several groups had in the last one year submitted petitions to the EFCC demanding Tinubu’s probe but there has been no official reaction from the EFCC.

The Convener, Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju; Ariyo-Dare Atoye of the Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution and Adebayo Raphael of the Free Nigeria Movement as well as many others had written the EFCC calling for Tinubu’s probe.

Adeyanju’s The petition noted that Section 7 (1) (b) of the EFCC Establishment Act 2004 gives the commission the power to investigate properties of any person that appears to the commission that the person’s lifestyle and extent of the properties are not justified by his source of income.

It added, “To the best of our knowledge, Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a private citizen who ordinarily should not be seen with a convoy of bullion vans.

“The questions begging for answers are: What are Bullion Vans doing in the house of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu? ‪Who owns the content, believing to be cash in the Bullion Vans that were seen entering the house of Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the eve of Nigerian Presidential elections?

“Has the commission, based on its core mandates, investigated the source of the Bullion Vans? ‪Is Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s house, now a bank where bullion vans now take money to?” (The PUNCH)

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