How I gave bribe to Keyamo, others - Kenny Martins

From Soji Eze-Fagbemi and Adelowo Oladipo - 08.05.2008

NATIONAL Co-ordinator of Police Equipment Foundation (PEF), Chief Kenny Martins, has given details of how he was allegedly compelled by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, to give N10 million and a jeep to Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo and his client, Godson Ewulum.

Martins, who spoke through his counsel, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, said the IGP allegedly presided over a meeting at Tanscorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, where it was agreed that he should give N10 million to Keyamo and Ewulum.

He also said that the allegation of N50 billion fraud in PEF arose after he refused to yield to alleged blackmail by Keyamo and Ewulum.

The PEF co-ordinator insisted that the meeting where it was agreed that he should give N10 million to Keyamo and Ewulum was organised by the IGP, against the IGP's position that he knew nothing about it.

According to him, the meeting took place at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja in July 2007. He said: “If the IGP said that he did not preside over any meeting, my position is that he may have forgotten. The claim of the IGP is not true.

“The meeting took place in Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja. There was supposed to be a follow up meeting two weeks after. It was in that meeting that he compelled the leadership of PEF to pay N10 million to Ewulum and one jeep.

“About a week after the meeting, Keyamo came to the office of PEF with a prominent person where he made the demand for N200 million. Before he made the demand, he asked the person to leave the office.

“Initially, Keyamo was not claiming that there was a fraud in PEF, he was claiming that his client was excluded from the administration of PEF.

“He made a demand of N200 million after asking the person who accompanied him to leave the office. He demanded N200 million to settle the problem once and for all.

“In response, the foundation said they would think about it. Out of caution, the foundation consulted a few people including me. I advised against it because I don’t see any basis for the claim of Godson Ewulum. That was how PEF refused to pay the money.

“On the 27th of July, Keyamo wrote a letter to the IGP, reminding him about the meeting they had early in July as well as the one fixed for two weeks after. In the letter, he reminded the IGP about the urgent need to settle the issue.

“Since the foundation refused to co-operate with him, he created the N50 billion fraud. That was how the N50 billion fraud emerged.”

The IGP had earlier said that Chief Martins should tell Nigerians how he managed the fund of the Foundation rather than drag the Nigeria Police Force and its good name into his case before the court.

Besides, Okiro described the allegation made in a court motion and affidavit by Chief Martins that he (Okiro) forced him (Martins) to pay N10 million bribe to the Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, as false, malicious and unfounded.

The IGP said: “The allegations made in both publications by Kenny Martins, the National Co-ordinator of the Police Equipment Foundation, are false and malicious.

“The Inspection-General of Police, Sir (Dr.) Mike Mbama Okiro, wishes to state in very clear terms that he was never a party to the dispute between Kenny Martins and Festus Keyamo and so could not have played any role in the alleged bribe scandal. It is surprising that a personality such as Kenny Martins who knows his right under the law would state that the IGP ‘forced’ him to offer bribe to parties involved in a case with him.”