The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has begun investigation into all security transactions that took place under the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
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Investigations revealed that the 27-member task force, set up by the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, started a discreet investigation into all the operations of the former office of the ex-NSA penultimate week.
It was gathered that the current probe of the EFCC focused not only on the amount of money spent on the procurement of arms for the military but also on personnel training outside the country.
A security source said on Monday that the EFCC Task Force was probing the training of Special Forces in some Eastern European countries.
It was learnt that the operatives were probing how funds, earmarked for the training of 750 Special Forces in Belarus and other Eastern European countries, were spent.
The security operatives, who were trained specifically to raise an elite force against the Boko Haram menace, were drawn from the Nigerian Police, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army, the Air Force and the Navy.
The Special Forces, who went for the training in September 2014, arrived in the country in December, 2014 and were immediately deployed in the operational areas of the North-East in March, 2015.
It was gathered that the select security personnel were trained in counter- terrorism, counter-insurgency, handling of rocket propelled grenades, machine guns and other weapons.
The source said one of the officials of the ONSA under the former NSA, was among some personnel of the office being interrogated in relation to the ongoing probe into arms procurement under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
It was learnt that the EFCC Task Force sent out letters to the affected personnel and commenced arresting them penultimate week.
The source said some of the suspects had been in detention of the EFCC for nine days.
The source added, “It is true that over 20 people have been arrested in connection with various security-related contracts awarded during the period under probe.
“They were picked up on different occasions over a week ago and have since been detained by the EFCC. Nobody knows why they are being kept for more than the 48 hours required by law.
“Another thing you must note is that the probe is touching on core security issues now. One of those detained was the person who handled the special training for Special Forces in Belarus.
“Those who were trained in Belarus were 750 security personnel selected from the DSS, the Police, the Army, Navy and the Air Force.”
The source could not give the exact amount involved in the Belarus deal.
Meanwhile, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detectives yesterday arrested former Minister of State (Finance) Bashir Yuguda for allegedly receiving N1.5billion from the National Security Adviser’s (NSA’s) office for unclear reasons.
Yuguda is also being interrogated for allegedly collecting N1.275billion from the Stallion Group during the campaign for the last general election and N775million from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Also arrested yesterday were Shaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance and Administration in the NSA’s office during the tenure of Mr. Sambo Dasuki, Sagir Bafarawa, Abbah Mohammed and Haliru Mohammed who are both the sons of ex-Governor Attahiru Bafarawa and ex-National Chairman of PDP, Mohammed Bello Haliru.
Their fathers had been put on EFCC radar as at press time yesterday.
Sagir Bafarawa, allegedly acting as front for his father, was said to have received $4.6b from the NSA’s office. Abbah Mohammed reportedly got N600m in the name of Bam Properties.
About 18 others were also under investigation last night, but the EFCC gave no details.
It was learnt that among the 18 suspects were top military chiefs connected with the “armsgate”.
A sources, who pleaded not to be named because of the “sensitivity” of the matter, said: “The EFCC stepped up its investigation into the controversial arms deal by Dasuki, with the arrest of a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda. He was arrested in Abuja and brought to the Head Office of the commission at about 4pm.
“He is being grilled for his alleged complicity in the armsgate. He allegedly received N1.5billion from the NSA’s office through an unnamed company for unclear reasons.
“The ex-minister is alleged to have received N1.275billion from the Stallion Group during the campaign for the last general election. He also allegedly received N775million from the Office of Accountant-General of the Federation. All monies were paid to him between December 2014 and May 2015.
“Also, a former National Chairman of PDP, Mohammed Bello Haliru and former Sokoto State Governor Attahiru Bafarawa are on the radar of the EFCC for alleged complicity in the dubious arms deals.
“Their sons, Sagir Bafarawa and Abbah Mohammed Haliru Mohammed, have been arrested by the EFCC.
“Another prime player in the arms deal , who is currently bring detained on court order by the EFCC is Shaibu Salisu.
“Salisu, former Director of Finance and Admin in the NSA’s office and a member of the staff of the National Intelligence Agency(NIA) was joint signatory to the NSA’s account alongside Sambo Dasuki. He is believed to be a major figure in the questionable disbursement of funds from the office.”
EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren said: “The ex-minister, the former Director of Finance, and other suspects are with us.
“We have arrested them and investigation is ongoing.”
There were indications that some suspects had volunteered to refund some of the money paid to them for equipment, which were undelivered.
The EFCC was last night awaiting a decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja on December 3 before arresting Dasuki, who has been under house arrest in the past few weeks.
Another source in the anti-graft commission said:”Some of the suspects have indicated interest in refunding the illicit funds.
”We are awaiting the decision of a Federal High Court on December 3, 2015 before arresting Dasuki for interrogation. We have tried as much as possible to be civil and respect the judiciary.
“We have invited Dasuki for interaction, we are still waiting for him – in line with our determination to employ international best practices and the rule of law. But there is a limit to which a suspect under investigation can take this commission for granted.”
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina, on November 17, 2015 said the interim report uncovered fraudulent financial transactions.
Adesina said in part: “”Further findings revealed that 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.
“The contracts, which were said to be for the purchase of four Alpha Jets, 12 helicopters, bombs and ammunition, which were not executed and the equipment were never supplied to the Nigerian Air Force, neither are they in its inventory.
“Even more disturbing was the discovery that out of these figures, two companies were awarded contracts to the tune of N350,000,000.00, $1,661,670,469.71 and €9,905,477.00 alone. This was without prejudice to the consistent non-performance of the companies in the previous contracts awarded.
“Additionally, it was discovered that the 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.
“As part of the findings, the committee has analysed interventions from some organisations that provided funds to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Headquarters, Army Headquarters, Navy Headquarters and Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, both in local and foreign currencies.
“So far, the total extra budgetary interventions articulated by the committee is N643,817,955,885.18 while the foreign currency component is to the tune of $2,193,815,000.83.
“It was observed that in spite of this huge financial intervention, very little was expended to support defence procurement.
“The committee also observed that of 513 contracts awarded at $8,356,525,184.32, N2,189,265,724,404.55 and €54,000.00, 53 were failed contracts amounting to $2,378,939,066.27 and N13,729,342,329.87 respectively.
He said the committee said the amount of foreign currency spent on failed contracts was more than double the $1 billion loan that the National Assembly approved to buy equipment to curtail insurgency in the North-East.
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“The committee also discovered that payments to the tune of N3,850,000,000.00 were made to a single company by the former NSA without documented evidence of contractual agreements or fulfillment of tax obligations to the Federal Government of Nigeria” , Adesina added.