However, according to a group, Initiative To Save
Democracy, Atiku, who has never travelled to America in 13 years,
had on Thursday travelled to the UK, upon getting an American Visa
to proceed to the country, from the U.K.
In a statement signed by its president, Akinloye James, the
British government informed the presidential candidate that, of the
U.S Department of Justice explicitly stated that, it can’t
guarantee that Atiku wouldn’t be arrested, if he set foot on the
country’s soil.
According to the group, Atiku, having failed to secure the
assurances of the British government and avoiding arrest by the
International Police (InterPol), quickly came back home.
It is common knowledge that since the Williams Jefferson
corruption case of 2004, Atiku has refused to travel to the United
States.
Jefferson, a US congressman, Williams Jefferson who indicted
Atiku, in the money laundering case, has since served jail term and
made to refund part of the money traced to him.
A group, Initiative To Save Democracy has said that it has
credible information that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the
2019 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar has returned to Nigeria
after failing to secure assurances from the US Department of
Justice that he will not be arrested if he sets his foot into the
soil of the United State.
TheCable had reported exclusively that the Waziri Adamawa
secured a US visa and had travelled to the United Kingdom from
where he will fly into the United state where he had not been able
to step foot for more than 13 years.
But the group in a statement signed by its president, Akinloye
James said Atiku had on Thursday travelled to the United Kingdom
after securing a United States Visa from where he hopes to travel
to the United State.
“His mission in the United Kingdom is to get the British
Government to help him secure the assurances of the United States
Department of Justice that he will not be arrested upon setting
foot in US soil. But the British government is reported to have
informed Abubakar that the US Department of Justice has made it
clear that it cannot guarantee he will not be arrested.”
Atiku has refused to travel to the United States since the case
of money laundering allegation involving him and a US congressman,
Williams Jefferson came to limelight.
His counterpart in the United State, Williams Jefferson has
already served jail term and made to refund part of the money
traced to him for money laundering, but Atiku has since been
walking free even though he has been unable to set foot in the
US.
Having failed to secure the assurances of the British government
and fearing that he may be arrested by the International Police
(InterPol), Atiku quickly returned to Nigeria to forestall any
possible arrest.
Paul Ibe, Head of the Atiku Media Office who has been speaking
on behalf of the PDP presidential candidate prior to appointing a
spokesman for his campaign tweeted a while ago that Atiku has since
returned to Abuja.
“HE @atiku embarked on a private visit to the United Kingdom on
Thursday shortly after the inauguration of his Presidential
Campaign Council. He has since returned back to Abuja,” I’ve said
in the tweet.
His tweet counters report by TheCable that Atiku will spend
sometime in the United Kingdom before traveling to the United
State.
“Report that Atiku obtained US Visa and travelled to the UK may
be true, but the part that he would be traveling to the US is
completely false,” Mr James said.
Contrary to reports in some sections of the media that the PDP
Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has travelled to the United
States, the former vice president is yet to visit the country,
BusinessDay can report. Investigations showed that although Atiku
travelled to the United Kingdom for a private visit, as of the time
of filing…
https://www.businessdayonline.com/exclusives/article/atiku-way-back-nigeria-uk-didnt-travel-us/