The CUPS organisation started publishing damning reports about the financial crimes of the so-called Senate President, Mr. Bukola Saraki, on 6/8/2015. Our reports covered his criminality since his days as a director at Societe Generale Bank (Nigeria) PLC between 1990 and 2000. Our research shows that by the time that Mr. Saraki resigned his position at the bank, it was saddled with a debt worth N37 billion. Meanwhile a whopping N17 billion was withdrawn from the bank’s accounts and could not be accounted for.
The sudden collapse of Societe General Bank (Nigeria) PLC brought misery and destitution to hundreds of thousands of customers, most of whom lost their business capital, entire life savings, or both. Meanwhile due to manifest corruption by the previous regimes, Bukola Saraki was never tried for the financial crimes he committed at Societe General Bank (Nigeria) PLC.
Our research shows that Bukola Saraki owns dozens of properties in the UK and in Nigeria, worth billions. During our investigation, we focused on a 6 bedroom mansion he bought just shortly after he resigned his position at Societe General Bank (Nigeria) PLC. On 29/11/2001 he bought the mansion at 70 Bourne Street, London SW1W 8JW, for £4,250,000. This property is now worth £13,565,000 (N4,069,500,000), according to UK Estate Agents, Zoopla.
CUPS managed to obtain an extract of the title deed of this property from the UK Land Registry, Croydon Office. For the first time ever, the extract is being released to public domain. It proves the following important points, and can be downloaded here: Bukola Saraki London Mansion
1. There is indeed a 6 bedroom mansion based at 70 Bourne Street, London SW1W 8JW.
2. The Title number for the mansion is NGL805616.
3. This mansion was purchased on 29/11/2001.
4. The purchasing price for the mansion was £4,250,000.
5. No debt, mortgage, or any form of loan is associated with the current ownership of the mansion.
6. Mr. Bukol Saraki is the SOLE owner of the mansion.
Put aside his financial crimes as two times governor of Kwara state, the financial scandal at Societe Generale Bank (Nigeria) PLC in association with the purchase of this mansion alone is enough to disqualify Mr. Bukola Saraki from being a Senate President, let alone being the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is an open secret that this Mafia kingpin harbours a dangerous ambition of being Nigeria’s next head of state, by whatever means necessary. He should be serving his time in jail instead.
Another pertinent question that only Mr. Bukola Saraki himself can adequately answer; has he declared these multi-billion Naira assets that he owns in the UK with the Code of Conduct Bureau? We very much doubt that. This again is a criminal offence, and it automatically disqualifies him as being a Senator or Senate President.
Nigerians need patriotic leaders with clear vision and mission, who have the capacity to rebuild the country and make her attain her full potential as one of the greatest countries on the planet. For all intent and purpose, we don’t need manifestly corrupt and greedy criminal gangsters like Mr. Bukola Saraki and their ilk, in our polity. This man is morally bankrupt and spiritually dilapidated.
The continued presence of Bukola Saraki at the Senate is a security risk to the Nigerian state. This man became the Senate President under the most dubious of circumstances. He and his supporters used Mafia style tactics to pervert due process at the Senate before he became its President. This case is still pending in Court.
We at CUPS believe that this clinically corrupt man will continue to abuse his position as Senate President to undermine the ongoing national crusade against corruption. The onus is therefore on all well meaning Nigerians to put hands on deck and see to it that he is removed from our Senate without delay.
May God save Nigeria and Nigerians. Amen.
Dr. Idris Ahmed.
CUPS (Citizens United for Peace and Stability)
31/8/2015.
