Government Searched U.S. House of Nigerian Vice President

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBBPIWBWCE.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government confirmed Saturday that the U.S. home of Nigeria's vice president had been searched as part of a federal investigation, which news reports have linked to a Louisiana congressman.

A State Department spokeswoman would not confirm when the search occurred, referring questions to the Justice Department. A Justice spokesman declined to comment.

The Times-Picayune of New Orleans first reported that agents had searched the Potomac, Md., home of Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Aug. 3. On the same day, FBI agents searched the Washington and New Orleans homes of Rep. William Jefferson, an eight-term Democrat.

The State Department would not say whether the searches were linked.

[bananas]

1. So maybe Chris Julian isn't crazy?

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9073949/

LOS ANGELES - The nearly weeklong search for a Grammy-nominated producer ended Friday after a resident spotted the man sitting naked in a backyard creek, washing his jeans.

The Topanga Canyon resident found a distraught Christian Julian Irwin saying he feared he was being pursued by Nigerians who had contacted him in an Internet scam, sheriff’s Capt. Ray Peavy said.

<snip>

[Turbineguy]

2. Oh No!

And I just sent him my bank account number so he can send me a 2 million dollars.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. Drat

You beat me to it.

[emad]

3. US probes Nigeria vice-president : BBC

The US government says federal agents have raided the Maryland home of Nigerian Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

The search took place on 3 August, but officials refused to confirm reports that it was linked to raids on homes belonging to a Lousianian congressman.

William Jefferson is being investigated over the financing of a high-tech company and his properties were searched on the same day.

There has been no comment on the case from Mr Abubakar.

Mr Jefferson, a Democrat who has served eight terms in the House of Representatives, has come under scrutiny as the FBI looks into an international telecommunications deal.

Investigators are interested in Mr Jefferson's links with Mr Abubakar and vice-president of Ghana, Aliu Mahama, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

According to the newspaper, Mr Jefferson visited Ghana in mid-July.

Mr Abubakar reportedly only uses his home in Potomac, Maryland for a couple of months each year.

His wife, Jennifer, is a doctoral student in international relations at American University in Washington.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4192186.stm