A Nigerian lawmaker has threatened to sue the United States Embassy in the country over accusations of serious sexual misconduct during an April 2016 visit to Cleveland, Ohio.
The three Nigerian lawmakers mentioned in a June 9 letter by the US ambassador, Mohammed Garba Gololo of Bauchi State, Mark Terseer Gbillah, of Benue State, and Samuel Ikon of Akwa Ibom State, have been accused of attempted rape by groping a hotel staff and soliciting prostitutes in the parking lot of the hotel while on official business in the United States.
Gololo Says Demands A Retraction
“I was shocked. I was embarrassed. There is nothing as such that has happened,” Nigerian lawmaker, Mohammed Gololo told BBC saying that the accusations are “false” and “unfounded”
“You can imagine if one attempted to rape someone or grabbed someone, what stopped the person from screaming? What stopped the person from shouting?,” the lawmaker elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, said as he attempted to question his accuser.
“Remember we were there in April. Now, we are in June. What stopped them from alleging or stopped them from reporting from April until now? What stopped them from bringing footage or some video clips of how it happened and where it happened?,” he queried.
“It’s false, it’s unfounded, and it’s really embarrassing.”
Gololo said he was demanding an apology from the government of the United States and would take legal action if it didn’t come. He also muted the idea of returning to Cleveland to “clear his name”.
One of the other accused lawmakers, Mark Gbillah representing Benue State on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ,said the allegation was “a baseless attempt to tarnish the reputation of Nigeria’s House of Representatives”.
The third Nigerian lawmaker, Samuel Ikon from Akwa Ibom State, elected on the platform of the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has remained mute over the allegations. He was a former speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
A spokesperson said the US Embassy does not comment on “private diplomatic correspondence”.
The Envoy’s Letter
A team of ten Nigerian lawmakers visited Cleveland, Ohio for the International Visitor Leadership Programme on good governance which held between April 7 and 13, 2016.
In a letter to Mr. Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the Nigerian house of representatives, James Entwistle, the United States ambassador to Nigeria reportedly accused two of the lawmakers of soliciting prostitutes during an official visit to the US.
“Mark Terseer Gbillah [Benue] and Samuel Ikon [Akwa Ibom] allegedly requested hotel parking attendants assist them to solicit prostitutes,” the US ambassador wrote.
In the letter dated June 9, 2016, exclusively obtained by New Telegraph, third lawmaker, Mohammed Garba Gololo of Bauchi State is accused of attempting to rape a staff of the hotel in Cleveland, where he stayed during the trip.
“Mohammed Garba Gololo allegedly grabbed a housekeeper in his hotel room and solicited her for sex,” Entwistle wrote. “While the housekeeper reported this to her management, this incident could have involved local law enforcement and resulted in legal consequences for Representative Gololo.”
“The U.S. Mission took pains to confirm these allegations and the identities of the individuals with the employees of the hotel in Cleveland.
“The conduct described above left a very negative impression of Nigeria, casting a shadow on Nigeria’s National Assembly, the International Visitor Leadership Program, and to the American hosts’ impression of Nigeria as a whole.
“Such conduct could affect some participants’ ability to travel to the United States in the future,” the letter said.
