Agents of Department of State Service (DSS) yesterday arrested former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, ending a three-week siege to his house in Abuja.
Former Sokoto state governor Attahiru Bafarawa and Chairman Africa Independent Television (AIT) Raymond Dokpesi, were also arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday in connection with the alleged N2billion arms deal.
Dasuki was charged to court in July for alleged illegal possession of arms and money laundering. Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court later granted him permission to travel abroad for treatment.
However, the DSS operatives laid siege to his house, keeping him indoors.
President Muhammadu Buhari ordered for his arrest on November 17, after a military investigative panel report indicted him in the $2 billion arm scandal.
According to Daily Trust, Dasuki was taken from his Asokoro home early in the morning and driven to the Abuja head office of the service.
Lawyers to the former NSA said yesterday they were studying the situation.
Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN), one of the lawyers on Dasuki’s legal team, was quoted by Daily Trust as saying the family had notified him of the arrest.
“Dasuki’s son contacted me and told me that his father was forcefully taken away without any arrest warrant. We are studying the situation and we would react appropriately,” Raji said.
The investigations committee into arms procurement under the Goodluck Jonathan administration said in its interim report that it found extra-budgetary spending to the tune of N643.8 billion and an additional $2.2 billion in the foreign currency component.
The former NSA had said in his defence that all procurements were done with the approval of then President Goodluck Jonathan.
But the former President had since denied that he had authorised such payments.
With regard to Bafarawa and Dokpesi, investigators want them to explain how huge government funds were paid into their accounts by the office of the former NSA.
Dokpesi was picked up for allegedly collecting N2.1billion from the CBN on the instruction of the former NSA.
Bafarawa was alleged to have received about N4.6 billion from the office of the NSA with no clear reason for payment. His son, Sagir, was arrested on Monday by the EFCC.
It was gathered that Bafarawa and his lawyer were still at the EFCC as at 8pm yesterday.
Also among those in detention at the EFCC over the arms deal, according to a reliable source, is Aminu Babakusa, a former Group Executive Director (GED) at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Babakusa was allegedly given N2.2bn.
Abba M.T. Usman, who is also under detention, was allegedly paid to supply six helicopters and some ammunition, but none was supplied.
Former Minister of State for Finance Bashir Yuguda, who was arrested on Monday, is still in custody. The flow of money into Yuguda’s account started from December 2014 to May 2015, sources said.
Sources said Yuguda allegedly received N1.5 billion from the former NSA’s office through an unnamed company, for unstated purpose.
He was also said to have received N1.275billion from some rice merchants during the campaigns for the last general election.
Another N775million was also allegedly paid to him from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation for unstated purpose.
According to Daily Trust, EFCC began questioning officials of the ONSA over two weeks ago.
Among them is Shuaibu Salisu, a former director of finance and administration in Dasuki’s office.
He is said to be a staff of the National Intelligence Agency, and a joint signatory with Dasuki to the NSA’s office account.
“Right now, the detention facility at the EFCC is a bit over-stretched. Some have been granted bail because of this. But the EFCC has secured court approval to hold the detainees for some time. Interrogation is going on and so there is limited access to them even on phone,” a source confirmed last night.
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. – dailytrust.com
The list of arrested associates of Dasuki include:
The list of arrested include:
1. Shuaibu Salisu, Dasuki’s Director of Finance,
2. Aminu Baba Kusa, a member of the National intelligence Agency (NIA)
He is chairman of An-Nur Mosque, Abuja.
3. Mohammed Baba-Kusa., a former NNPC General Executive Director
He is #2’s son.
4. Abba M.T. Usman,
5. Evegny Kundaev,
6. Attahiru Maccido,
7. Salisa Umar Garu,
8. Oyinmiebl Bribena,
9. Olukoya Olusegun Godwin,
10. Olukayode Raimi.
