Some of Senate President Bukola Saraki’s aides involved in the November 20, 2015 theft of N310 million cash being transported to the senator have revealed why they stole the money.
It will be recalled that the aides stole the cash whilst it was being transported by a bureau de change operator at 5 Nana Close, Maitama in Abuja.
The theft involved five officers of the Department of State Security (DSS) led by Abdulrasheed Maigari, the most senior of the DSS officers attached to Senator Saraki.
The other DSS officers involved in the heist were Ibbi George, Patrick Ishaya, Peter Okoye, and Solomon Yunusa.
Other participants included four other aides of Mr. Saraki and five serving military officers led by one Captain Hassan Mshelia.
Speaking to Sahara Reporters, the aides, who are on the run, stated that they stole the cash because Saraki was in the habit of storinh large volumes of cash, mainly for use as bribes to judges, investigators and prosecutors to ensure the scuttling of his trial for false assets declaration by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
According to the aides, Senator Saraki often used a house, 18 Lake Chad Crescent, Abuja, as a warehouse for illegally acquired money.
The sources said cash was regularly moved from the bank and the house on Lake Chad Crescent to Mr. Saraki’s mansion at 5 Nana Close in Maitama, from which lawyers as well as judges and their designated representatives collect the cash to obstruct justice.
It was during one of such movements from the bank that the operatives stole the cash.