A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, and President Muhammadu Buhari close friend, Brig.Gen. Jafaru Isa (retd.), has returned N170m he recieved from the embattled former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.). to the Federal Government.
Isa, who is a former military governor of Kaduna State, was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in January for allegedly receiving the money but was released after returning N100m to the commission with a promise to pay the balance of N70m.
The retired general, who was a member of Buhari’s 19-man transition committee, was arrested around the same time the then National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, was detained for allegedly receiving N400m from Dasuki.
However, while Jafaru was released after five days in detention, Metuh spent about three weeks in the custody of the commission, causing the PDP to accuse the anti-graft agency of being partial.
In his reaction to the PDP’s accusation, the acting EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, had said, “From the records, Metuh got over N400m. He has not said anything because we need the public money to be returned so that it’s going to be used for public good.
“Also Jafaru Isa, what Dasuki gave him was N170m. He also agreed that he collected that money. He was with us for four to five days and then he made a deposit of N100m and signed an undertaking to bring the rest. That does not mean we will not prosecute him.”
It, however, remained unclear if the EFCC will still prosecute Isa, who is believed to have health challenges.
The former military governor launched a failed bid to become the governor of Bauchi State in 2011 on the platform of the Congress for Progressives Change.