The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today grilled the former managing director of Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria (SGBN), the commercial bank owned but liquidated by the Saraki family.
Sources at the agency told SaharaReporters that the investigation relates to the commission’s interrogation of the former Kwara State governor, Bukola Saraki, who is now on administrative bail supposedly for medical reasons, following his August 11 and 12th grilling.
Mr. Robert Mbonu is specifically being questioned following revelations during investigations that NGS Securities Limited, one of the companies linked to Mr. Saraki, used funds stolen from SGBN to purchase shares at the Southern Sun Hotels, formerly Ikoyi Hotels. The shares were later converted to Mrs. Saraki’s personal coffers.
Another petition submitted by Sayyu Dantata, a Northern Nigeria-based businessman and younger brother of Aliko Dangote, alleges that a special deposit of $11 million he made at the bank was shared between the former governor and Mr. Mbonu during the time they held sway at the bank.
Mr. Mbonu was still being interrogated at the EFCC as of the time of this report. Our source stated that several of the bank’s former employees have also been invited for questioning over what has been termed as one of the biggest bank frauds ever carried out by a single family in the history of banking.
On August 12, Saraki, who is now a Senator, turned himself in to the EFCC after the commission declared him wanted. He was subsequently released on administrative bail. It is unclear how serious the EFCC is about this investigation, as it is fairly routine in Nigeria for the rich and powerful to get away with anything.