Former Minister of Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu has denied receiving N9.7 billion in his bank account, stating that the allegation has caused damage to his person.
The disclosure was made through his legal representative, Mike Ozekhome Chambers.
The law chamber revealed that the accuser’s allegations have caused damage to its client, a development it described as a deliberate effort calculated to do maximum damage to his esteemed person, image, hard-earned goodwill and integrity.
In a document seen by Nairametrics, the lawyers stated, “To say that the said publication is most defamatory and disparaging to the person of our client, if words have not lost their true meaning, is a great understatement.
“Our client has since the libellous publications been inundated with several calls, emails, text messages and personal visits from friends, family members, professional colleagues, and political and business associates from within and outside the country, all expressing worry and concern over the said false publications.
“You went further in your baseless, provocative and malicious publication to falsely allege that our client ‘received N9.7 billion in his personal First Bank account … Which denotes his appetite for luxury goods and accommodation and portrayed our client as a corrupt, dishonest, dishonourable, unprincipled, debased and decadent public officer.”
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Nairametrics reported that the former Minister of Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, cleared the air on the alleged stolen Jaguar car, which was said to have been smuggled into the United States. He disclosed that the claims were false, patently misleading and frivolous.
Kachikwu disclosed this via a statement shared on social media and signed by one of his aides, Prince Harrison.
According to him, the car was impounded by the U.S Customs, not on suspicion of being a stolen car after it was shipped from Nigeria to the U.S as a gift to a relative, but for emission control infringement as cars with European and African emission control specifications cannot be used in the U.S.
Kachikwu’s statement read:
“The attention of Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu has been drawn to a false, patently misleading, and frivolous publication by an online news medium. The publication which alleged that the former Minister smuggled a stolen jaguar car to the US is not only absurd but manifestly untrue. For the avoidance of doubt, it is expedient to set the record straight.
“Sometime in 2009, Dr Kachikwu bought a Jaguar car from Dazz Motors Nigeria Ltd, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The Managing Director then was Emmanuel Jack. The car was fully paid for.
“After using the car for some years, it was gifted to a relation in the United States of America (USA) and following due local customs processes, the car was shipped to the US. However, on arrival, the car was impounded by the US Customs on suspicion of being a stolen car and for emission control Infringement as cars with European and African emission control specifications cannot be used in the US.”
