The bribery scandal that dogged the House Committee probe on the fuel subsidy payments to oil marketers in the country took a new dimension Thursday as Lagos based billionaire oil magnate Femi Otedola dragged speaker of the House of reps, Aminu Tambuwal and ranking member Farouk Lawal before an FCT high court claiming N250B as damages.
Odetola who blew the scandal open, had admitted giving Farouk Lawal the chairman of the defunct House adhoc committee $620,000.00 as bribe is claiming N250bn from Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon.Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Hon. Lawan Farouk as compensation for business losses he suffered by the action of the two defendants.
In the suit filed at the Federal High court in Abuja by his counsel Chief Babajide Koku SAN, Otedola is claiming one hundred billion naira (N100Bbn)as general damages for acts of intimidation, loss of good-will and patronages occasioned by the acts of the Speaker and Farouk.
In the legal action he jointly filed along with his Zenon Petroleum and Gas Company, Otedola is claiming another one hundred and fifty billion naira (N150bn) against the defendants as exemplary damages for their alleged oppressive and arbitrary actions against him and his company.
He is also challenging the alleged move by Lawan Farouk and Tambuwal to re-list his company among the oil firms already indicted for allegedly defrauding the federal government.
In his 28-point statement of claim, Otedola averred that by resolution of January 8, this year, the House of Representatives set up an ad hoc Committee to verify and determine the actual subsidy amount made to oil companies and to also monitor the implementation of the subsidy in the country.
He claimed that Hon Farouk later allegedly contacted and informed that his company was going to be indicted for purchasing foreign exchange from Central Bank of Nigeria without importing fuel.
The business man averred that inspite of his explanations, Farouk allegedly demanded $3m bribe to enable Zenonoil get a clean bill of health.
He contended that Farouk resorted to persistent phone calls threatening him that his company would be included in the list of indicted oil importers and that the image and reputations of Zenonoil would be greatly affected unless he pays the three million US Dollars.
Faced with the unrelenting barrage of intimidating phone calls, the plaintiff claimed that he became distressed and reported the unlawful demands to the security agencies.
He further averred that he secured the advice of security agents to play along by giving marked money to Farouk with a view to gather evidence for the unlawful activities.
Otedola alleged that the situation got to the peak on April 18 when the fuel subsidy probe report was submitted indicting his Zenon oil company.
He claimed further that Farouk called and assured him that Zenoncan be de- listed from the list of the indicted ones prompting him to give $620,000 marked money in two instalments with $500,000 to Farouk and another $120,000 to one Boniface Emenalo on the instruction of Farouk.
With the bribe paid him, the plaintiff averred that Farouk on April 24 moved the House to de-list the name of Zenonoil from the indicted company but was still persistent in demanding for balance of $2,380,000 prompting him to report the incident to Police.
The plaintiff asserted that inspite of the on-going police investigation, the Speaker and Hon Farouk have allegedly conspired to re-list his company among the indicted companies to embarrass him and his business corporate image.
He claimed that the purpose of re-listing Zenonoil was to force and intimidate him to drop his complaints against Farouk.
Otedola therefore asked the court to award him N250bn for the grave injuries done to his reputation and business image resulting in the substantial loss of goodwill and patronage of the business built over the years.
However, the Speaker and Farouk have filed an objection to the hearing of the suit by an Abuja High Court claiming that it is only the federal high court that can adjudicate over such a matter.
The objection was filed by Mr.Kehinde Ogunuwuniju from the chamber of Chief Afe Babalola.
Justice Peter Kekemeke of the Abuja high Court has however adjourned the case till November 23 for mention.
