There are strong signs that former President Goodluck Jonathan has taken refuge in Ivory Coast in his bid to evade prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for corruption and money laundering, running into billions of US dollars, ThisDay reports.
Against the backdrop of renewed trouble in the Niger Delta, following sustained attacks on oil facilities by militants, rumoured to be sympathetic with the ousted ex-president, close aides of Jonathan say that he now fears that an ostensibly irritated President Muhammadu Buhari may no longer keep his pledge not to prosecute him, which was part of a deal struck between the two in order to ensure a free election and smooth transition of power.
It is gathered that plans by the EFCC to arrest Jonathan on his arrival in Nigeria from his overseas tour on allegations of corruption and misappropriation of billions of dollars during his five years tenure as president, informed his decision to dodge temporarily in Ivory Coast.
Recently, the EFCC arrested some of the closest allies of Jonathan, including his cousin, Mr. Aziobola Robert (in connection with a $40 million pipeline surveillance contract) and his former principal secretary and confidant Mr. Hassan Tukur.
These arrests must have sent chills down the spine of the former president, as the two were closest to him during his presidency.
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