US reveals strong evidence of sexual scandal against Reps
- Officials of the US government said they have strong evidence of sexual misconduct allegedly put on the three members of the House of Representatives
- US Ambassador informed the Speaker, Hon Yakubu Dogara about the issue, as gotten from a high-powered diplomatic source
Premium Times gathered that some officials privileged to confidential information said Yakubu Dogara was told about the sexual scandal by the US envoy in Nigeria.
U.S. Ambassador in Nigeria, James Mr. Entwistle, wrote a letter dated Thursday, June 9, alleging that three Nigerian lawmakers – Mohammed Garba Gololo (Bauchi APC), Samuel Ikon (Akwa Ibom PDP) and Mark Gbillah (Benue APC) were involved in soliciting sexual favours from hotel staff in two separate incidents, during their visit to the US.
READ ALSO: Sex Scandal: What Nigerian lawmakers involved want
It was alleged that Gololo grabbed a maid in the hotel and requested for sex, Ikon and Gbilla were said to have told hotel parking attendants to get commercial sex workers for them.
The purported sexual misconducts happened sometime in April at the Residence Inn Marriot, Downtown Cleveland and were immediately reported to State Department officials by the hotel’s management.
The House of Representatives members who reacted to the allegations and threats of legal action, as local witnesses in Cleveland and sources close to State Department and the Nigerian diaspora community in Washington DC informed Premium Times and relevant U.S. officials, that they are in possession of records specifying “circumstances of” the alleged misconduct, comprising of “eyewitness reports” and real-time “video” evidence.
READ ALSO: Dogara tells US to prove sex misconduct allegations
The source said: “The Ambassador wouldn’t have written to the Speaker if there is no solid evidence,” also saying that after the hotel manager reported the sexual scandal, the State Department officers “had to investigate before acting on the allegations.”
The source who gave the details of investigation carried out so far opposed Gololo’s denial, stressing that of the three lawmakers, “he is the one who actually put his hand on somebody, the others only made a verbal request”.
Premium Times gathered from the state department that “the woman he (Gololo) allegedly accosted felt intimidated.” On the other hand, she reported the incident to her supervisor at immediately after saving herself from the offensive situation.
“You don’t need to have a car to talk to a parking lot attendant,” A source said
“In all honesty, the Ambassador would not have gone forward with the letter if there is no solid evidence behind it,” further saying that that Mr Entwistle “is not going to apologise; there is nothing to apologize for.”
There have insinuations that Einwistle was trying “to bring disrepute to the hallowed institution of the National Assembly and the entire nation of Nigeria”, as a source informed said the intention was to put out there that some participants in the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP), not all, are guilty of sexual misconduct and to educate participants who may be admitted for this and other programmes in future.
“The reality is that these three gentlemen made a mistake. They violated the terms of the IVLP of which they were duly informed before they left Abuja,” Premium Times learnt from the said source., while adding that, “prostitution is not legal in the U.S., they were informed about that before their departure.”
“If they had been remorseful, if they had just said it was miscommunication and apologised, that would have been the end of it. They were accused of assault and solicitation, no one talked about rape.” the source said further
In addition, Premium Times has it on good authority that State Department officials are not worried about the lawmakers’ threat of legal action because, according to our Washington DC sources, “they know their evidence will hold up in court”.
“If they (Gololo, Ikon and Gbillah) want the full spotlight of the justice system to shine on the evidence in the possession of the State Department, they should go ahead and initiate a lawsuit.
“Their conduct was a breach of U.S. law, instead of calling State Department officials, hotel managers could have had them summarily arrested and charged. As it is, everybody gave them a pass, letting them complete the programme without interference,” The source revealed.
A Nigerian who lives in Washington DC said: “I won’t be surprised if they keep female service staff away from anyone who identifies as a Nigerian or carries Nigerian passport.”
Earlier today, reports had it that, 10 Nigerian lawmakers who attended International Visitors Leadership Programme in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, were interrogated by officials of the US State Department over allegations of sexual misconduct against three of their colleagues.
Source: Legit.ng
