The circle of arrests has widened since President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the arrest of former NSA, Sambo Dasuki and all persons connected to the alleged fraud in the $2 billion arms purchases.
Defence Headquarters is said to have arrested senior military officers, while the anti-graft agency, the EFCC is also said to have arrested about 15 officers who had worked in the office of the former NSA.
Senior military officers, including generals had appeared before an investigation panel set up by the President to probe how huge funds meant for arms purchases were spent.
The panel’s interim report submitted to the President two weeks ago said over N640 billion had been stolen.
It was against this backdrop that President Buhari ordered the arrest of the former NSA, Dasuki and all others involved in the alleged graft.
Since then top military officers have been detained by defence headquarters. Several names were being mentioned in the social media but the military authorities have refused to comment on them.
The EFCC confirmed yesterday it had detained former minister of state for finance Ambassador Bashir Yuguda.
He was being interrogated by operatives over his role in an alleged 2 billion naira arms purchase.
EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren yesterday told Daily Trust Yuguda was still being questioned, at press time.
He said investigations had traced some of the alleged stolen funds in the arms purchase under Dasuki to Yuguda.
Other reports said billions of naira from the arms funds were traced to Yuguda’s account.
Sources said the former minister was yet to account for how such huge amount of money was transferred directly to his account.
The flow of money into Yuguda’s account started from December 2014 to May 2015, sources said.
Uwujaren also confirmed that one Aliyu Abubakar was yesterday interrogated by operatives of the EFCC in fresh investigations into Malabu Oil deal.
The deal involved former Petroleum Resources Minister, Dan Etete, and some top officials of the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
Aliyu Abubakar, Daily Trust gathered, appeared at the head offices of the Commission to explain allegations of money laundering and financial crimes in the Malabu deal.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has quizzed and arrested some officials of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) over alleged involvement in siphoning government funds.
The officers were being questioned, some still in detention over their roles in alleged financial crimes and money laundering, running into billions of naira under the leadership of former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki.
A presidential committee was instituted by President Muhammadu Buhari to probe arms purchases carried out by the ONSA when Dasuki held sway.
Daily Trust gathered that the officers being investigated are those close to the former NSA and may have information on the financial situation of the organization during the period being investigated by the committee.
It was also learnt that the EFCC, following directive by the Committee set up a task force of investigators to examine all financial transactions during Dasuki’s era as NSA.
A source said the EFCC began questioning officials of the ONSA over two weeks now. While some were quizzed in their offices, others were invited to the Abuja head offices of the EFCC.
Another source said those the commission felt should make further explanations were picked up from their homes, some of which are being detained by the EFCC.
It was also learnt that the outcome of the ongoing investigation might result to the EFCC arresting Dasuki and arraigning him in court.
Dasuki has been under house arrest, after his residence was surrounded by officials of the Department State Services (DSS) barring him from going on a health trip abroad.
In an interim report the Presidential committee investigating arms purchase alleged that several arms said to have been purchased by the NSA were not delivered.
Dasuki in a statement denied the allegations made in the Committee’s interim report.
He said he was ready to defend himself in court.
Allegation in the interim report
*Total extra budgetary amounted to N643,817,955,885.18.
*The foreign currency component is to the tune of $2,193,815,000.83.
*Amounts exclude the grants from the State Governments and funds collected by the DSS and Police.
*Very little was expended to support defence procurement.
*513 contracts awarded at $8,356,525,184.32; N2,189,265,724,404.55 and €54,000.00.
*Fifty Three (53) were failed contracts amounting to $2,378,939,066.27 and N13,729,342,329.87 respectively.
*Amount of foreign currency spent on failed contracts was more than double the $1bn loan that the National Assembly approved for borrowing to fight the insurgency in the North East.
*Payments of N3,850,000,000.00 were made to a single company by the former NSA without documented evidence of contractual agreements or fulfilment of tax obligations to the FGN.
* Between March 2012 and March 2015, the erstwhile NSA, Lt Col MS Dasuki (rtd) awarded fictitious and phantom contracts to the tune of N2,219,188,609.50, $1,671,742,613.58 and €9,905,477.00.
*Contracts said to be for the purchase of 4 Alpha Jets, 12 helicopters, bombs and ammunition were not executed and the equipment were never supplied to the Nigerian Air Force, neither are they in its inventory.
*Former NSA directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to transfer the sum of $132,050,486.97 and €9,905,473.55 to the accounts of Societe D’equipmente Internationaux in West Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America for un-ascertained purposes, without any contract documents to explain the transactions.
Dasuki’s reaction
*To set the records straight, Nigerians should appreciate that the AVM Jon Ode-led panel did not invite the ex-NSA for fairness.
*Dasuki was not the NSA in March 2012 and he could not have awarded any contract in whatever name. The ex-NSA was appointed by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on June 22, 2012.
*All contracts and accruing payments were with the approval of the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces. So, there was due process for every purchase in line with regulations guiding arms procurement for the Armed Forces.
*There were no fictitious contracts; contract sums were not diverted and the relevant services in writing acknowledged delivery of equipment. For all procurements, the Nigerian Army, the Air Force and the Nigerian Navy have their contractors.
*I have nothing to hide, I submitted a comprehensive list of all requests for procurements by the services, the items bought and those equipment being awaited to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari long before I left office.
* I have a lot to tell Nigerians but in the interim, they should not believe some of the allegations as the gospel truths.
*As for my tenure as the nation’s NSA, I acted in the interest of the nation and with utmost fear of God.
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