Andy Uba denies ownership of $15m Ibori bribe

A fresh twist was on Friday added to the raging controversy over the ownership of a controversial $15 million bribe allegedly given to a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, by ex-governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, in 2006.

Senator Andy Uba (PDP, Anambra East) on Friday denied ownership of the controversial $15m bribe, saying he merely allowed Ibori to use his house to deliver the money to Ribadu.

Uba had been mentioned by a businessman, Chibuike Achigbu, in an affidavit some days ago as the receiver of the money.

Achigbu had claimed that he raised the money as campaign funds to use in financing some Peoples Democratic Party candidates and then passed it to Uba, who in turn gave it to the EFCC.

But Uba, who was a special assistant to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on Domestic Affairs from 1999 – 2006, said in an emailed statement by his aide, Mr. Chike Okeke, in Abuja that he gave the money to the then EFCC Director of Operations, Ibrahim Lamorde.