A Coalition of Civil Society Organisation against Corruption and Social Vices (CCSOACS), has called for the arrest and prosecution of some lawmakers accused of extortion.

The coalition was reacting to a story reported by a news medium accusing some lawmakers of ‘extorting’ money from agencies the House of Representatives Committee investigated for job racketeering.

The CCSOACS Publicity Secretary, Obiora Bartholomew, in a press conference held in Abuja, noted that after a news medium broke the story of the alleged extortion, Nigerians were again thrown into anger because the organ of government which should ordinarily check the excesses of Government agencies was now the one championing corruption.

“The Civil Society Groups in Nigeria have risen up to fight against this wickedness in government. We have decided, therefore; that the accusations leveled against Hon. Wole Oke by Premium Times are too grievous to be swept under the carpet.

“The online news platform, Premium Times claimed that on Tuesday, August 15, some committee members met with heads of the nation’s federal-owned universities – 51 vice-chancellors – and afterward secretly negotiated two million naira bribe from each of them to save themselves from public humiliation and eventual indictment.

“The online medium had also claimed that the vice-chancellors were then given Account Number 5400495458, domiciled in Providus Bank, to pay into. The lawmakers even instructed the vice-chancellors to “clearly indicate the name of the institution in the payment invoice.

“The committee members also held separate meetings with rectors of the 35 federal owned polytechnics and provosts of the 27 federal colleges of education. Three million naira bribe was then demanded from each of them.

“Premium Times claimed their investigation had revealed how the House Committee, set up to probe alleged corruption in the personnel recruitment process of federal agencies, launched an extortion ring to collect bribes and shake down unwilling officials.

” Premium Times claimed that Mr Sambo on 16 August, 2023 received a call from Stella Adoga. Ms Adoga works for Lead British International School (LBIS), a big secondary school in Abuja owned by Hon. Wole Oke.

“That Premium Times claimed that Ms Adoga called him and said that there was one of their clients that wanted to buy dollars,” Mr Sambo said. “She said she would give them my number. That’s a referral—which is very normal in our business.

“Hours after the call from Ms Adoga, he was contacted via WhatsApp by a man who introduced himself as Professor Tanko Ishaya, who said that he got his contact from “Stella (Adoga) from the National Assembly”, and would like to know the rates of naira to dollar, and naira to pounds sterling.

“The Professor later requested the account number of Mr Sambo with the understanding that he would send him money in naira which he would like to convert to dollars. He was given Account Number 5400495458, domiciled in Providus Bank.

“That this account was subsequently used as a conduit pipe extortion,” it said.

CCSOACS further called on the United State, and United Kingdom to place a visa ban on the lawmaker.

This is as they also threatened to embark on a non-stop advocacy march to the National Assembly, Nigeria Police Headquarters, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupf Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC), the U.S Embassy, the British High Commission.

“We the Nigerian Civil Society Groups reject corruption in the National Assembly vis a vis legislature, executive or judiciary.

“We request a full-scale probe of Hon. Wole Oke and his cronies in this disgraceful act.

“We demand that the Attorney General of the Federation, Police Inspector General, the Chairman of EFCC and the Chairman of ICPC investigate this shameful act by Hon Woke Oke.

“We also request that the United States, Britain, European Union and other countries immediately place a visa ban on him.

“We also urge the UK to immediately repatriate Hon. Wole Oke from the UK where he is presently cooling off.

“We will stage a non-stop advocacy march to the National Assembly, Nigeria Police Headquarters, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC), the U.S Embassy, the British High Commission,” the coalition added. (Daily Independent)

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