AbaCityBlog
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • CRIME
  • #OFFBEAT
  • PEOPLE
  • SOUTH EAST ZONE
    • Abia State
    • Anambra State
    • Enugu State
    • Ebonyi State
    • Imo State
  • GUEST POST
  • SPONSORED
  • ADVERTISE
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • CRIME
  • #OFFBEAT
  • PEOPLE
  • SOUTH EAST ZONE
    • Abia State
    • Anambra State
    • Enugu State
    • Ebonyi State
    • Imo State
  • GUEST POST
  • SPONSORED
  • ADVERTISE
No Result
View All Result
AbaCityBlog
No Result
View All Result
Home Special Reports

Chimaroke Nnamani stole $41.8 million from Enugu, paid millions of dollars in cash for US properties – FBI

October 4, 2022
in Special Reports
126
SHARES
547
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Whatsapp

Nigerian Senator Chimaroke Nnamani looted and laundered $41.8 million during his days as Enugu governor and used the ill-gotten riches to acquire luxury assets in Florida, according to a statement submitted by the FBI in a forfeiture proceeding that was recently obtained by Peoples Gazette.

The 2009 complaint seen by The Gazette said Mr Nnamani, whom the FBI described as an American citizen, connived with his sister Chinero Nwigwe to steal public funds when he led Enugu between May 1999 and May 2007. Peter Mbah, Sam Ejiofor and Chika Ohaa were also named in the court documents as Mr Nnamani’s co-conspirators.

Chimaroke Nnamani stole $41.8 million from Enugu, paid millions of dollars in cash for US properties - FBI
Former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani [Photo credit: The Sun Nigeria]
The FBI said Mr Nnamani, a medical doctor, stole $41.868,877.05 in one of several illicit schemes he pulled as Enugu governor. Authorities said the money was about N5.3 billion at the time, but it’s now worth around N31 billion today.

The FBI had argued that “Chimaroke Nnamani’s official salary as governor is the equivalent of $10,670 per year; thus, it appears unlikely that Nnamani possesses an adequate source of legitimate income to account for the purchase” of the lush real estate he amassed in Florida.

Judge Williams Acker of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama ordered forfeitures of Mr Nnamani’s assets to the U.S. government after finding that the Nigerian politician was not earning enough as governor to justify the millions of dollars in his possession.

Mr Nnamani, who has recently cut himself as a moral, prudent leader devoid of corrupt practices long typical of a Nigerian politician, did not return The Gazette’s request seeking comments about his U.S. corruption case, which has gone unreported until now and comes days after he was nominated as a senior member of the presidential campaign council of Bola Tinubu.

Although it was unclear whether or not Mr Nnamani has accepted Mr Tinubu’s job offer to serve in the All Progressives Congress’ presidential campaign despite being a senator and member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, his failure to publicly comment on the development more than a week after it was announced has left even his staunch allies confused as to where he stands in Nigeria’s general elections coming up in February 2023.

American authorities further stated that Mr Nnamani was “involved in a scheme to defraud the State of Enugu, Federal Republic of Nigeria, in violation of Nigerian law since at least 2003 and continuing until at least 2005.”

Mr Nnamani opened 20 bank accounts with AmSouth Bank in Orlando, Florida, where he stashed his loot even while serving as governor and was fully aware that it was illegal to maintain bank accounts abroad as an elected public official in Nigeria. Mr Nnamani had set up a firm Rock City Group, LLC, to carry out the fraud, documents said.

Parts of the stolen funds were used to lock down posh assets in Florida, with authorities stating Mr Nnamani paid $1.8 million in cash to buy his Heathrow residence.

“On February 22, 2007, Nnamani paid a total of $1,800,000 in cash” to buy a proper at 1972 Bridgewater Drive, Heathrow, Florida, filings said.

Following a lengthy trial that began in July 2007, Judge Acker granted the FBI’s request to forfeit all properties linked to Mr Nnamani’s fraud to the U.S. government on May 13, 2009.

It was not immediately clear whether or not Mr Nnamani’s successors tried to pursue repatriation of his loot to the state, which has less than N150 billion in an annual budget that is largely unfunded. A spokesman for the state’s current administration did not return a request seeking comments.

It was also unclear whether or not the FBI filed separate criminal charges against Mr Nnamani, but the Nigerian politician had faced separate forfeiture proceedings in Nigeria and lost, especially in 2015 when a federal judge ordered forfeiture of some multibillion-naira assets linked to him in Nigeria.

Source: Peoples Gazette


Tags: Chimaroke NnamaniEnugu StateFBI
Share50Tweet32Send

Related Posts

Tinubu in Trouble as Northern Christians vow to Vote Against Him, blasts APC for hiring Fake Bishops

Court may disqualify Tinubu for having dual citizenship, lying while under oath

by Justice Okoro
April 18, 2023
0

Nigeria’s president-elect Bola Tinubu appeared to have lied to the Independent National Electoral commission while under oath following his dual...

Alphonsus Igbeke (Ubanese) Is Innocent - Nsugbe Community Cries Out 20 Years After

Alphonsus Igbeke (Ubanese) Is Innocent – Nsugbe Community Cries Out 20 Years After

by Ngozi Blessed
March 9, 2023
0

The Elders of Nsugbe community in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State has cried out over the hell bent...

President Buhari Unveils New Naira Notes

JUST IN: Buhari to extend validity of old naira notes till April

by Ngozi Blessed
February 15, 2023
0

President Muhammadu Buhari is considering extending the validity of old naira notes by 60 days, TheCable understands. This is to...

Talent Could Be African PR & Communications Industry’s Biggest Challenge

Talent Could Be African PR & Communications Industry’s Biggest Challenge

by Ngozi Blessed
November 24, 2022
0

A new survey of over 10,000 communication professionals in Africa will shed more light on the most critical problems facing...

Tinubu in Trouble as Northern Christians vow to Vote Against Him, blasts APC for hiring Fake Bishops

More Troubles for Tinubu as US Company He claimed to have worked with Denies Having Records of His Employment

by Justice Okoro
November 15, 2022
0

A new document by Deloitte, USA, a leading audit and consulting company, has revealed that the presidential candidate of All...

Next Post
VIDEO: Actress, Patience Ozokwor, Drums Support For Peter Obi

VIDEO: Actress, Patience Ozokwor, Drums Support For Peter Obi

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu

JUST IN: Senator Orji Kalu’s bill seeking to Modernise Agriculture sector gets first reading

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

External links

HERO

abacityblog.com

Healthy & safe

Checked by Sur.ly

2023

POPULAR POST

  • Ohanaeze Ndigbo

    Ohanaeze Chieftain Reveals List Of Three Igbo Governors who agreed to Attend Tinubu’s Inauguration

    596 shares
    Share 238 Tweet 149
  • VIDEO: Moment Soludo was chased away while trying to see Tinubu at Presidential Inauguration event in Abuja

    199 shares
    Share 80 Tweet 50
  • Full Speech Of Dr. Alex Otti On His Inauguration As Governor Of Abia State On May 29

    169 shares
    Share 68 Tweet 42
  • Nigerian man cries out as Strange Goat falls from their room ceiling while asleep with family

    159 shares
    Share 64 Tweet 40
  • VIDEO: Tinubu Sworn In As Nigeria’s 16th President

    129 shares
    Share 52 Tweet 32

RECOMMENDED

  • All
  • Scholarships
Key Features of WPS Office and How to Use Them

Key Features of WPS Office and How to Use Them

May 26, 2023
Top 10 Must-Have Amenities in Airport Service

Top 10 Must-Have Amenities in Airport Service

May 23, 2023
JumiaPay Nigeria Partners with Trove Finance to Simplify Investing

JumiaPay Nigeria Partners with Trove Finance to Simplify Investing

May 20, 2023
Creating a Budget: A Step-by-Step Guide to Financial Success

Creating a Budget: A Step-by-Step Guide to Financial Success

May 28, 2023
Unleashing the Power of the iMac Pro i7b 4K: A Comprehensive Review

Unleashing the Power of the iMac Pro i7b 4K: A Comprehensive Review

May 15, 2023
Load More
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
Call us: +2347038111972

© 2023 Abacity Blog Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Aba News
  • #OffBeat

© 2023 Abacity Blog Media

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In