The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has raised the alarm over an alleged blackmail plot by a group of lawyers against its lead prosecutor, Rotimi Jacob (SAN) over a controversial claim of £2.5billion.

It said a group of 27 lawyers had petitioned the National Executive of the Nigerian Bar Association, alleging that Jacob was using the EFCC to harass and intimidate them for winning a monetary suit against the Central Bank of Nigeria and Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.

The agency said one Mr Onyechi Egwuonwu, on behalf of the lawyers alleged that the Union Bank induced the EFCC and Jacob to file criminal charges against their client,  Petro Union  Oil, in order to frustrate the execution of the judgment.

But debunking the lawyers’ claim on Tuesday, the EFCC dismissed it as false and misleading, insisting that Jacob as a reputable lawyer, had successfully prosecuted several high-profile cases for the anti-graft agency.

The acting EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, in a statement condemned what he described as a calculated attempt  by the petitioners to blackmail the senior advocate.

He stated, “For the purpose of clarity, the purported £2.5billion is a fictitious fund Petro Union Oil allegedly drew against an account in Barclays Bank (United Kingdom) through a cheque issued in 1994. 

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“The company made a fraudulent attempt to present the cheque for clearing through Union Bank but enquiries made by Union Bank at Barclays Bank showed that the account against which the cheque was drawn was closed in 1989, five years before the cheque was presented in Lagos for clearing. 

“Besides, the company had also been voluntarily dissolved by its promoters in the United Kingdom.  The same promoters are the mastermind of Petro Union Oil.”

The commission explained that Petro Union Oil was unable to procure a court judgment for the £2.5billion against the CBN and Union Bank on the basis of an alleged CBN statement of account

“when it is elementary that the CBN, like all Central Banks across the world, does not maintain accounts for private entities.”

Based on the foregoing, the EFCC said it filed seven counts against Petro Union Oil and its directors, adding that the trial is ongoing at the Federal High Court.