Jonathan, the Real Reason Metuh tore His Statement – EFCC (Details)

Chief Olisa Metuh, Spokesman and National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, allegedly implicated former President, Goodluck Jonathan, in the statement he purportedly tore to on January 5, while in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. According to officials of the EFCC, former President Goodluck Jonathan is the real reason why Metuh tore his statement.

Metuh while being interoggated for receiving N400m from the Office of the National Security Adviser, was alleged to have torn the statement, after realising the gravity of his admittance.

Operatives of the EFCC, who witnessed the incident, detailed it in the ‘incidence record book’ which was part of the documents filed along with the charges of destruction of evidence preferred against Metuh by the anti-graft agency.

According to court papers which was obtained by Punch Newspapers, five operatives of the EFCC witnessed Metuh’s tearing of his statement.

The document, which contains a timeline from when Metuh was arrested until when the alleged act took place, also indicates that the PDP spokesperson had revealed that Goodluck Jonathan requested from him the account number in which the N400m was paid into.

An EFCC detective, Junaid Sa’id, recorded the account of events in the incident duty log, which reads: “Destruction OF Written Statement: I have booked the incident of tearing into pieces of statement by Mr. Olisa Metuh, who was given his statement to endorse after volunteering his statement and he decided to tear into pieces the third page of his four-page statement. The torn statement has however been registered with the Exhibit Keeper. Entry made by Det. Junaid Sa’id.”

The timeline of events, reads in part: “12.30 hours: Mr. Metuh Olisa began to volunteer his statement under words of caution.”

“15.30 hours: Mr. Metuh Olisa concluded his statement which was of four pages. I passed the statements to the team leader, CSP Ibrahim Musa, to read over and endorse accordingly but in the process of reading and after endorsing pages one and two, he swiftly tore into pieces page three of his statement which read that former President Jonathan had asked him to make available, account details owed by his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, and the debts owed him personally and some media houses.”

“He further stated that he gave the account details of Destra Investments Ltd. to the President and thereafter he received the payment of N400m into his company’s accounts which he used for specific assignments given to him by the President of which he was not willing to disclose for what purpose.”

“I thereafter refused to give him page four of his statement for endorsement because I did not want him to tear it as well. This incidence (sic) happened in the presence of the following officers: Mr. Ibrahim Musa, Mr. Wetkas Michael, Mr. Bello Umar, Ms. Ibrahim, who were all carrying out their various assignments.”

“16.30 hours: The torn page of the statement which is in pieces was registered with the exhibit keeper and the incident recorded in the incidence record book of the commission.”