EFCC Declares Goodie Ibru Wanted
EFCC has declared one of the popular Ibru brothers, Goodie Ibru, wanted in a well circulated notice,
Spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said Goodie is wanted for money laundering, conspiracy, theft, capital market fraud and diversion of funds.
This allegation came from his chairmanship of Ikeja Hotels, owners of Sheraton Hotel in Abuja and Lagos, Capital Hotel and Federal Palace Hotel.
There has been a company ownership dispute between Maiden Ibru and Goodie Ibru. Maiden’s late husband, Alex Ibru was a co-director of the company. But, there has been a struggle for the ownership since Alex’s demise.
In its notice on its website, the EFCC said: “The public is hereby notified that Goodie Minabo Ibru is wanted by the EFCC in connection with a case of conspiracy, capital market fraud, stealing, diversion of funds and money laundering.
“He diverted billions of Naira and assets of Ikeja Hotels Plc, owners of Sheraton Hotel, Lagos; Federal Palace Hotel and Capital Hotel; owners of Sheraton Hotel Abuja to his personal benefit.
“Anybody having useful information as to his whereabouts should contact the commission through any of its offices located at Abuja, Kano, Gombe, Lagos, Ibadan, Maiduguri and Port Harcourt.”
EFCC Order: Climax of Goodie’s Woes
The declaration bring to a head, Goodie Ibru’s crisis of confidence among shareholders of Ikeja Hotels Plc in the last one year.
Maiden Ibru, the widow of Guardian Publisher, Mr Alex Ibru, alongside some other shareholders held a controversial Extra-Ordinary General Meeting outside the Sheraton hotel premises on January 6, 2015. This was done after they got a Federal High Court Order.
Goodie Ibru, then led other members of the family to obtained an ex parte injunction from the Federal High Court, Abuja. This restrains Maiden from “calling an EGM or representing her late husband’s investment vehicle holding shares in Ikeja Hotels Plc.”
Some shareholders later purportedly sacked Goddie Ibru as the chairman and director of the company over corporate governance infractions. They also picked Mr Olumide Braithwaite and Mr Tunde Sarumi as directors of the company.
KPMG Nigeria Ltd was mandated conduct a forensic audit of the management of the company from 1999 to 2014. This was when Mr. Goodie Ibru was the chairman of Ikeja Hotels Plc .
But Ibru, who said he would challenge his purported removal in court, said: “In the first place, the so-called EGM was not properly convened. We have over 14,000 shareholders, none of whom was issued with the notice required by Sections 220-222 of CAMA (Companies and Allied Matters Act), nor were they afforded the opportunity to appoint proxies to vote in their stead.”
