Admin l Monday, March 27, 2017
ABUJA, Nigeria – President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki today told the Senate Committee probing his alleged involvement in the importation of N300 million bullet proof Range Rover that he is not an importer and that the affected vehicle seized by Nigerian Customs Service does not bear his name.
Saraki who spoke during the hearing on the committee said he did not ask anybody to import any vehicle for him.
“I did not import any vehicle. I did not ask anybody to import any vehicle on my behalf. It is important that I clear my name, the documents are there and none of the documents are in my name,” he told the committee which also cleared him of involvement.
Managing Director of Lanre Shittu Motors, Surulere told the Committee on Ethics and Privilege that Saraki has nothing to do with the vehicle seized by customs. He appeared with the importer of the vehicle, Tokunbo Akindele, a staff of Oando Plc.
The importer, Akindele told the committee that the vehicle was not imported for Saraki, but that it was originally procured in 2015 for use by oil firm, Oando. He said the company later reviewed its decision due to presence of alternative.
Shittu said he was then approached by Wale Tinubu, the Managing Director of Oando in October 2016 to consign the car to his company, Lanre Shittu Motors and that his company had no deal with Mr. Saraki but the Senate, adding that he bided, following an advert, and the vehicle was supplied.
The importer and dealer said it was in 2017 that they discovered that the customs documents for the car were fake and blamed the Nigerian Customs for the mix up. Chairman of the Senate Committee on House Service, Mr. Gobir, told the investigative committee that the Senate bought “vehicles from dealers, and dealers from importers”.
