The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has extended its ongoing investigation
into the $2.1bn arms procurement scandal to the office of former Vice-President
Namadi Sambo, The PUNCH has learnt.
It
was gathered on Monday that the EFCC operatives were looking into the office of
the former Vice President because of some transactions that linked the office
to that of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
There
was a report two weeks ago that Destra Investment, a company owned by the
National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa
Metuh, allegedly paid N25m to a former special assistant to Sambo, Abba Dabo,
on December 16, 2014.
The
commission is currently investigating N1.4bn found in the account of Metuh’s
company.
Out
of the N1.4bn, N400m was alleged to have been paid by the Office of the NSA.
A
top EFCC source, who confided in The PUNCH, said the former VP’s office was
being investigated because some of the funds disbursed by the former NSA had to do with the financing of the PDP
presidential campaign in the North.
It
was learnt that the office of the former VP coordinated the PDP campaign in
many parts of the North and that some of the funds were sourced from the ONSA.
The
source explained that virtually all the arms of government had one reason or
the other to interact with the ONSA because of its strategic nature in the last
administration.
It
was further learnt that the ONSA was always directed to take care of emergency
cases in the previous government.
A
top operative of the commission said the commission had also commenced a probe
into the operations of another former NSA, the late Gen. Owoye Azazi.
It
was stated that the EFCC was detaining some of the personnel of the ONSA, who
worked under Azazi and Dasuki.
It
is not clear whether the EFCC has released the former Military Assistant to the
late Azazi and Dasuki who has been in detention for over two weeks.
The
source said the EFCC was also detaining others in connection with the probe.
The
source added, “Operatives are intensifying investigation into the activities of
the former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, as part of the ongoing probe.
“The
commission is also detaining some of the people who worked under the late
Azazi. You know that there is no
government office that would not come under this probe.
“The
reason is that the ONSA was strategic and was called upon to play a role in all
cases identified as emergency.
“This
thing will touch all the offices in the previous government. It is just a
matter of time.
“The
former VP coordinated the PDP’s presidential campaign in many parts of the
North.”
The
Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said he did not
have the information when contacted on the telephone.
“I
do not have any information on the matter,” he said.
Source:
The Punch
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