419 Senators: Afenifere Calls For Immediate Probe

26.01.2006

he pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, on Friday demanded for thte immediate probe into the allegation made by Sen. Nuhu Aliyu that there were several 419ners in the Senate.

Afenifere, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said Aliyu should be commended for his boldness in making the disclosure.

Odumakin added, “We empathise with the distinguished senator as he lives the agony of calling “distinguished colleagues” fraudsters.

“It is heartwarming that within 24 hours after Sen. Aliyu’s allegation, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, equally admitted that there were people of similar vices in the lower chambers.

“Afenifere lauds this bold admission as a good signal that the moment of change we have always yearned for is knocking on our doors. And we have to be careful not to miss it by cynicism.

“For too long, a band of criminals have held Nigeria hostage plundering with reckless abandon. They are not only in the National Assembly; they are scattered at different tiers of government in our country today.”