Peter Ibrahim Gyendeng, a federal lawmaker representing Barkin Ladi/Riyom [Plateau State] in House of Representatives was among the committee of lawmakers indicted of taking bribes from agencies and institutions being probed for job racketeering.
Born in Foron village, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, Gyendeng lost his parents at a tender age. He grew up under tough conditions, according to a local press.
ALLEGED BRIBE-TAKING LAWMAKERS (1): Yusuf Gagdi — The Head Boy and his Antecedents
He had served in the Plateau State House of Assembly, where he represented Barkin Ladi, a constituency that has been suffering banditry attacks for nearly a decade. Sometimes in 2018, he was detained by Military Task Force operatives for speaking up for his constituents.
Gyendeng was among the state lawmakers who ousted the then-speaker of the assembly, Peter Ajang Azi. The latter was impeached following a motion raised by the former. He was seconded by Yusuf Gagdi, the chairman of the committee indicted of having taken tribes from the agencies and federal institutions they were probing.
A PREMIUM TIMES investigation revealed that the lawmakers allegedly took bribes amounting to N267 million through a proxy from the federal institutions. But being the head of the committee, Gagdi, a lawmaker representing the Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke federal constituency in Plateau State refuted the allegations.
On Tuesday, August 15, some committee members met with heads of the nation’s federally-owned universities, comprising 51 vice-chancellors, and secretly negotiated N2 million bribe from each of them to let them off the hook. Afterwards, the vice-chancellors were given an account number: 5400495458, domiciled in Providus Bank, to pay [the bribe] into.
ALLEGED BRIBE-TAKING LAWMAKERS (3): Sani Tanko — The Son of Immediate Past Chief Justice of Nigeria
The lawmakers even instructed the vice-chancellors to “clearly indicate the name of the institution in the payment invoice, PREMIUM TIMES reported.
In separate meetings, negotiated N3 million bribe with rectors of the 35 federally-owned polytechnics and provosts of the 27 federally-owned colleges of education.
The leadership of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), declined to comment on the findings.
