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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Kingibe denies fraud allegations as businessman petitions ICPC

From The Punch · (6m ago) English Critical tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A businessman has petitioned Nigeria's ICPC accusing Senator Ireti Kingibe of deceit and fraudulent withholding of N68 million.
  • The businessman claims he was induced to pay $65,000 for a promised refund or federal government contracts, facilitated by the senator's aide.
  • Senator Kingibe denies the allegations, stating she never requested or received money for contracts and that the claims are false.

Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory, is facing serious allegations of deceit and fraudulent withholding of funds amounting to N68 million. The accusations stem from a petition filed with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) by an Abuja-based businessman, Mr. Nonso Okafor.

The SLA promised that the money will be repaid in full or, in the alternative, the Senator will facilitate the award of contracts to our client through which he will recoup the money.

— Nonso Okafor's lawyersDetailing the alleged agreement under which the businessman provided funds.

According to the petition, dated April 27, 2026, and filed by Okafor's counsel, the businessman was allegedly persuaded by the senator's Senior Legislative Aide (SLA), Mrs. Osereme Christen Omofoma, to provide $65,000 (approximately N118 million at the time) in October 2024. This sum was purportedly for the senator's "urgent financial needs," with a promise of either a refund or assistance in securing federal government contracts. Okafor claims he borrowed the funds at high interest rates after initial reluctance, but after months of waiting, no contract materialized, leading him to demand a refund.

They tried to compel our client to accept the payment as full and final, with threats to arrest him if he refuses to forego the balance.

— Nonso Okafor's lawyersDescribing the alleged pressure to accept a partial repayment.

Senator Kingibe, through her Special Assistant on Media, Matilda Duncan, has vehemently denied the allegations. She stated that she never requested, received, or authorized anyone to collect money on her behalf for any contract. The senator's office described the claims as false and baseless. The petitioner's lawyers allege that after threats of legal action, a partial repayment of N50 million was made in May 2025, which they were pressured to accept as full and final settlement, despite an outstanding N68 million. Okafor maintains that the entire affair was a "deceitful gimmick" to defraud him, and he urges the ICPC to investigate and recover the remaining sum.

Allegations that I was ‘dragged t

— Senator Ireti KingibeResponding to the fraud allegations through her media aide.
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Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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