A luxury mansion co-owned by a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and his fourth wife, Jennifer Douglas, in the posh neighbourhood of Potomac, Maryland, United States, has been auctioned.

The property gained international notoriety in 2005 after it was searched by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in connection with a bribery scandal involving disgraced former U.S. Congressman, William Jefferson.

The seven-bedroom cream-coloured single family brick house on 9731 Sorrel Ave, Potomac, Maryland, was originally listed for $3.25 million on Zillow and other online real estate websites on January 25, 2018 but was eventually sold for a pending offer of $2.95 million on February 26, 2018 after an online auction.

A pending offer means a buyer and seller of the property have reached a deal. However, a buyer can still pull out from the deal (which is very unlikely) if they cannot resolve issues like cost of repair or they cannot get a bank to approve a loan for the purchase of the property.

Mr. Abubakar and Ms. Douglas bought the 7,131 square feet house in December 1999 for $1.75 million. Built in 1988, the house was described on Zillow as one of the finest in the tony neighbourhood of Falconhurst, Potomac, where houses are valued between $2 million and $10 million.

The Atikus’ mansion is a colonial-style building that sits in the middle of a 2.3 acres premises of lush green trees. The mansion has a total of 21 rooms, multiple terraces which are said to be ideal for outdoor parties, a pool sauna, a gazebo, a gourmet kitchen and an outdoor swimming pool.

Sources with knowledge of the state of the mansion but who requested not to be named because they did not want to be publicly associated with this story, said the Atikus had not lived in the mansion since Mr. Abubakar left office as vice president in 2007.

One source told PREMIUM TIMES that after 2007, house service staff lived in the mansion for some years, but the place was later locked up, and had remained unoccupied.

Tax records from the Montgomery County, Washington DC, show that Ms. Douglas consistently paid property taxes on the mansion from 1999 to 2016. She, however, is in default of $27,913.77 being that for 2017.

The house was not in foreclosure as it was paid for completely by the Atikus and available records showed that no bank loan was involved in its purchase.

The sale of the mansion was not listed as a public auction, which is an auction done under a court order on behalf of government or its agencies.

There is also no evidence that the sale is connected to the now infamous 2005 case or any other unknown criminal investigations.

Paul Ibe, the spokesperson for Me. Abubakar, told PREMIUM TIMES the sale of the mansion was voluntary and strictly an investment decision.

“Atiku Abubakar is a successful businessman who has a long history of real estate investments,” Mr. Ibe said in response to an enquiry by this newspaper.

“The U.S. home was simply one of such numerous investments. The home was no longer serving the purpose for which it was bought. Consequently, it has to be put up for sale via open auction, a growing and preferred method of selling high end properties. The proceeds thereof will be deployed to business aimed at creating jobs.”

Mr. Abubakar has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the Jefferson corruption saga that led to the search of his home.

But the former vice president’s political rivals have always harped on that episode to discredit him.

What is more, Mr. Abubakar, believed to be nursing a fresh bid to become president of Nigeria in 2019 after several failed attempts, has not travelled to the U.S. for a long time. That has fuelled speculations that he might be avoiding a possible arrest or prosecution.

But in an interview with the BOSS newspaper last December, he explained he had made attempts to visit the U.S. but was turned down for administrative reasons.
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/261868-exclusive-blocked-from-america-atiku-sells-controversial-2-95-million-u-s-home.html

And so

“I applied but wasn’t issued a visa. However, they did not decline me categorically either. They’ve only said my application is going through administrative process. It is the sole prerogative of America to determine who they want in their country or not. I’m not running away from America,” he said.

Atiku, William Jefferson and the FBI Search Warrant

The sold property attracted international media attention in 2005 after the FBI videotaped Mr. Jefferson, who was the congressman representing Louisiana, receiving $100,000 worth of $100 bills in a leather briefcase as part payment of a $500,000 bribe allegedly demanded by Mr. Abubakar, who was vice president at the time, to facilitate the award of contracts to some two American telecommunication firms in Nigeria.

On August 2, 2005, the FBI applied for a search warrant from William Connelly, a US judge in Maryland, to search the Potomac mansion.

A day after the affidavit was filed, the FBI raided the congressional office of Mr. Jefferson and discovered $90,000 “wrapped in aluminum foil and stuffed inside frozen-food containers” and hidden in a freezer. The serial numbers on the bill matched those the FBI had given to an informant.

The affidavit filed by FBI special agent, Edward Cooper, in support of the application for a search warrant of the Maryland home further revealed the details of the bribery scandal.

Mr. Cooper told the court that the search of the property was necessary because the FBI has probable cause to believe that the there are evidence of the violations of Title 18 United States Code, Section 201, which relates to the bribery of a public official; Title 18 United States Code, Sections 1343, 1346, and 1349, which deals with wire fraud, deprivation of honest service and scheme defraud.

Mr. Cooper also claimed that the evidence he sought in the Atikus’ mansion were believed to be in violation of Title 15, United States Code, Section 78dd-1, which deals with the bribery of a foreign official, Title 18 United States Code, Section371, which deals with the conspiracy to commit bribery and the bribery of a foreign official.

Mr. Cooper also listed the items to be seized from the mansion as:

1. Cash in $100 denominations or higher.

2. A new, reddish-brown coloured briefcase retailed or manufactured by Bosca.

3. A reddish-brown coloured cloth bag with two drawing strings on top of the bag.

4. All video recording devices, surveillance videotapes, CDs, digital media or any other electronic devices related to the surveillance of the house grounds, driveway and premises.

5. All recording of visitors to the premises recording arrival, departure or length of stay information.

6. All records, logs, schedule of employees or personnel working at the premises from Monday July 18, 2005 at 6 pm to the present.

7. Records, documents from January 2001 to the present relating to IGate incorporated, Rosecom.net, NDTV, Multimedia Broadband Services Inc, and W2 IBBS Limited.

8. All records and documents relating to communication to and from Atiku Abubakar and William Jefferson regarding the proposed business venture in Nigeria.

The bribery investigation started in March 2005 when a “cooperating witness”, who has since been identified as a Virginia-based businessman, Lori Mody, approached the FBI after he suspected that he had been a victim of a fraudulent scheme involving Mr Jefferson, Vernon Jackson, and Brett Pfeffer.

Mr. Mody told the FBI that he suspected that the trio were scheming to defraud him of $3.5 million using Mr. Jackson’s company, iGate Incorporated.

He said he paid the money to Mr Jackson, who had developed a technology that could enable the transmission of data, audio and video through copper called “Triple Play”, for its reacquisition from another company which had acquired it from iGate. However, Mr. Jackson, after collecting the money, could not produce proof that he had reacquired the technology.

He also told the FBI that Mr. Jefferson promised to assist him with his business dealings in Nigeria for a percent share of his business, which he directed to be issued in the names of his children.

At the time, Mr. Jefferson was a member of the congressional African Trade and Investment caucus as well as member of the congressional caucus for Nigeria.

The FBI revealed that Mr. Jefferson had already received a 30 per cent equity in a Nigerian company controlled by Mr. Mody in exchange for promoting communication equipment and services offered by iGate in Nigeria. Mr. Jefferson also requested that the 30 per cent stake be placed in a Nigerian company controlled by his children.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/261868-exclusive-blocked-from-america-atiku-sells-controversial-2-95-million-u-s-home.html

All in the bid to paint him black because of his presidential aspiration! BMC crew have stepped up their propaganda machine as usual .

How do you explain someone who "borrowed" to buy nomination form but his daughter attended one of the best schools in uk, his son bought a power Bike worth millions.

BMC crew trying to do they usual blackmail spin..

2015 is not 2019..

People have upgraded, your lives and propaganda spin are stale and obsolete ..

Try another one ..

Atiku is head and shoulders better than you ..

Fourth wife? Atiku has 4 wives? This is adultery!!! $500,000 bribe ?? This is corruption !!! I no vote for am again, I withdraw my votes

....when is buruntashi Dan Ali,
Dambazau. kyari..
Going to sell dia own property...


Dirty propagandists won't stop Atiku's presidency..

If the bigot Dullard can be president of Nigeria..
Then Atiku is qualify for British p.m or American president.


The blood sucking dullardeen must be returned to Daura..
Another four years and Nigeria will be emptied.
Famine. Depression.death.corruption bigotry.nepotism tribalism..Herdsmen Boko..

Please I take God beg us..get your PVC let join hand and sent the Dullard back to kastina before it's late..

Na we all go suffer am for another four years..

Yusuff go still buy new bike ..if he be brought one already..
His sister is already married to Oriental petroleum..
Kyari son is ..buhari pa is already the youngest billionaire..and his under 23..
We can go on n on..


Let's collectively do this one..

Let us assumed we wake up one morning to see Atiku in Aso Rock(Allah forbid, anyway) how would America regard Nigeria?

Trash. This will not stop we 5 percent from atikulating. After all maina stole 20 trillion naira, Babachir stole 10 trillion dollars and buhari refuse to hang them . If Atichukwu is not allowed in amelica, he can visit us in our potor lepubric.