Home FEATURES Ex Enugu Chief Judge Queries Senator Ekweremadu’s 32 Properties In Nigeria, Abroad

Ex Enugu Chief Judge Queries Senator Ekweremadu’s 32 Properties In Nigeria, Abroad

Deputy Senate President-Ike Ekweremadu

A former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Professor I.A Umezulike, has queried Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s 32 choice properties in Nigeria and abroad and wanted the National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Brigadier-General Babagana Monguno, to order the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission  (EFCC) to probe him. Ekweremadu is the current Senate deputy President, and is in the upper chamber of the national assembly on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a letter, dated 16 June 2017, addressed to NSA, Professor Umezulike said that Ekweremadu’s lifestyle and the  properties he has acquired are not justified by this source of income and should be probed under Section 7 (1) (b) of the EFCC Act.

According to the retired judge, the EFCC has the power to “cause investigation to be conducted into the properties of any person if appears to the Commission that the person’s lifestyle and extent of the properties are not justified by his source of income.”

He said that Ekweremadu is in his fourth term as senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District, adding that before he was elected as a senator, Ekweremadu spent four years as an aide to former Enugu State governor, Chimaroke Nnamani, first as the   Chief of Staff and later, as  Secretary to the State Government.

“In sum, from 1999 till date, he has been in the realm of public office without any break to engage in any personal business. Thus, his emoluments in the past 18 years are easily ascertainable from Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission.”

The retired judge said that prior to his entry into public office in 1999, Ekweremadu was a struggling lawyer, who lived in a depressed suburb of Enugu at  No. 17 Mike Ejeagha Street, Abakpa-Nike, Enugu.

“He managed to eke out a living as a ‘charge and bail’ legal practitioner,” said Professor Umezulike, who attached photographs of buildings that housed the Deputy Senate President’s law office.

Professor Umezulike said that within a space of 18 years in public office, Ekweremadu has amassed billions of naira and used part of the money to buy high-end properties across four continents. He added that Ekweremadu has money in the vaults of Sterling Bank Plc and United Bank of Africa.

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He said that in Enugu alone, the Deputy Senate President own No. 14, Iyienu Street, Independence Layout; 7 O’Connor Street, Asata;  14/16 Charles Street, G. R. A, Enugu; 9B Isuofia Street, Shagari Low Cost Housing in Trans-Ekulu; 28 Owerri Road in Asata, House 2, Local City Garden, G. R. A; an a plot at Republic Layout.  He also owns 69.4 hectares of land in Ogbeke-Nike, Enugu.

He said that Ekweremadu’s property portfolio in Abuja includes Plot 1518 Maitama, 11 Evan Enwerem Street, Apo Legislative Quarters, Plot 2633 Kyami, Housing Estate (Plot 1106 CRD, Cadastral Zone 07-07, Lugbe, 2, Jim Nwobodo Street, Apo Legislative Quarters and Plot 2782 Asokoro Extension.

The retired judge said that the deputy Senate President also owns houses at Citi Park Estate, Gwagwalada; Plot 1474 Cadastral Zone BD6, Mabushi; Congress Court, Abuja; Flat 1, Block D25, Athletics Street, (24th Street) Games Village; and Plot 66, 64 Crescents, Gwarimpa Estate.

He said that in the British capital of London, Ekweremadu owns Flat 4 Varsity Court, Hormer Street, WIH 4NW, London; and 52 Ayleston Avenue, NW6 7AB, London, and that in Dubai, Ekweremadu is the owner of Room 1903, The Address Hotel, Downtown Dubai; The Address Boulevard, 3901, Dubai; 2 Flats of Burij Side Boulevard (The Signature), Dubai; Emirate Gardens Apartment No. EGG1/1/114, Dubai; Emirate Gardens Apartment No. EGG1/115, Dubai; Apartment No. DFB/12/B 1204, Park Towers, Dubai; Flat 3604, MAG 214, Dubai; and Villa No 148, Maeen1, The Lakes Emirates Hills, Dubai. In Florida, United States of America, the Deputy Senate President owns 4507 Stella Street, Bellavida Estate; 2747 Club Cortile Circle and 2763 Club Cortile Circle, all in Kissime, Florida.

“Given the foregoing, we urge and beseech you to direct thorough investigation of these properties of Senator Ike Ekweremadu with a view of bringing him to book and edify the fight against economic and financial crimes in Nigeria,” said Professor Umezulike. [myad]