THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at the weekend, raided the office of former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, in Abuja.
We learnt that operatives of the commission stormed the office, located on Herbert Macauley Way in the Federal Capital Territory, on Saturday, apparently in connection with the ongoing investigation into the $1.2 billion arms procurement scandal, as the former number two citizen was allegedly indicted in the investigation.
We also learnt that the operatives, during the operation, broke into the safe in the former vice-president’s office, where $50,000 was said to have been discovered alongside his declaration of assets form, a list containing his property, among other documents.
A source informed that Sambo had, in recent times, been moving documents from his house to the office, which operatives on his trail all the while had thought was money.
The source further stated that the operatives were disappointed with what they discovered in the office after they raided the place.
When contacted, Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said that he was not aware of the operation, saying that he was going to find out about it.
He, however, told us that he was not able to confirm whether the office was raided or not.
Meanwhile, We learnt that the commission has perfected plans to nab military officers President Muhammadu Buhari directed it to further investigate, following their refusal to honour invitation extended to them.
The move followed the arrest of a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, last Wednesday night by operatives of the anti-graft commission.
His arrest came on the heels of the seal off of some properties belonging to some of the officers same day.
A source informed us on Monday that plans were being concluded to move against other serving and retired Air Force and army officers recommended by an audit committee set up by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to probe arms procurements between 2007 and 2015.
Based on the recommendation, the presidential directive was given to EFCC to investigate former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Amosu and 15 other serving and retired Air Force and army officers, including two former Chiefs of Air Force, Air Marshall Dikko Umar and Amosu, specifically on their roles in fundamental breaches in the arms procurements by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) within the eight-year period.
Twenty-one companies involved in one way or the other in the arms procurement deals and their directors were also lined up for further investigation by the anti-corruption body.
The source informed that the commission had promptly extended formal invitation to the affected individuals, companies and their directors, saying that having waited for them to voluntarily show up to answer questions on their roles in the arms scandal, the commission had no other choice but to force them to appear before it.
“The next thing to do naturally by the commission is to force these people to come and explain their roles in the arms procurement scandal. They have been invited to voluntarily come and explain, but it seems they do not want to do that willingly,” the source told the Nigerian Tribune on Monday.
We also reliably learnt on Monday that Air Marshal Amosu was still being kept in EFCC custody.
As of the time of filing this report, it was not sure if he had been given an administrative bail.
(Tribune)
