By Olakunle Olafioye
SPEAKER of the Federal House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has challenged the United States of America to substantiate the allegations against three Nigerian lawmakers accused of sexual offences during their visit to the country few weeks ago.
The Speaker, while reacting to questions by Nigerians over the issue on his twitter handle, speakerdogara, said no evidence had been received on the allegation beyond the letter in which the lawmakers were accused of committing the offences.
“As we speak, no evidence has been put forward other than the letter sent to my office and copied to many others,” he tweeted.
The Speaker who noted that an accused person was presumed innocent until proven guilty said, “social media trial and conviction of the members alleged to have committed the offence is taking up arms against our laws.
“Together with the US Embassy in Nigeria, we will get to the bottom of this matter and until then let’s not be judgmental,” he tweeted.
Three Nigerian lawmakers – Mr. Mohammed Garba-Gololo (Bauchi State); Mr. Terse Gbillah (Benue State), and Mr. Samuel Ikon (Cross River State) were accused of committing sexual offences during a trip to the US to participate in the International Visitor Leadership Programme on Good Governance organised by the US government.
The three lawmakers were members of a team of 10 lawmakers nominated to attend the leadership programme, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio, between April 7 and 13 this year.
US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle had in a letter dated June 9 to the Speaker, accused Mr.Garba Gololo of grabbing a hotel worker and soliciting sex from her, while Mr. Mark Terseer Gbillah and Samuel Ikon allegedly requested that hotel parking attendants assist them to solicit prostitutes.
But the three lawmakers have consistently denied the allegation with Mr. Ikon insisting his reported involvement is a case of mistaken identity. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, had last Thursday, directed the investigation of the three members over the allegations.
Birds of the the same feather, what evidence is Dogara looking for. Oh Mr Speaker expect a room cleaner to hide a spy camera on her body before going to guest rooms and if she is caught, they will accuse her of spying a hotel customer ?
Or maybe Mr Speaker want a hotel packing attendant to switch his phone to recording the moment any Nigeria come close to him ??
We knew nothing will come out of it, soon it will turn to a family affairs and there it will die a natural death.
If you want to find out the truth Mr Speaker, hire an independent investigator let him / her go to the hotel and interview the people involved and report back to you. shikina.
But Mr Ikom said it is a case of mistaken identity, that means they pointed to the wrong person, but can he tell the right culprit? Because his statement implies that the act happened but he is not the one.