by Nnenna Ibeh
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to declare a former governor of Borno State, Modu Sheriff, wanted for failing to honour the commission’s invitation.
Mr. Sheriff was summoned by the anti-graft agency to appear on Thursday at 10.a.m. for questioning on allegations of “misappropriation, embezzlement of funds and abuse of office while he was governor”.
However, a defiant Mr. Sheriff damned the EFCC’s invitation.
A source at the commission who wouldn’t want to be named because he was not authorised to do so, said Mr. Sheriff’s failure to appear before the commission will automatically compel the commission to effect his arrest.
The source said the commission would have to first declare the ex-governor wanted and then move on to arrest him.
Multiple sources at the anti-graft agency had earlier told PREMIUM TIMES that should Mr. Sheriff fail to show up as directed, he would be declared wanted and then arrested.
Our sources said detectives were already on his trail and watching his movement to prevent him from fleeing.
Although the specific allegations against the former governor are unclear at this time, this newspaper gathered that the investigation is related with allegations that parts of the N300billion his administration received from the Federation Account between 2003 and 2011 may not have been judiciously spent.
The investigation began in 2012 and had been ongoing ever since, our sources said.
Mr. Sheriff governed Borno State on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party.
Before then, he was a senator between 1999 and 2003 on the ticket of the same party.
It remains unclear why Mr. Sheriff is being invited by the anti-graft agency at the end of an administration formed by his own party, the Peoples Democratic Party, which he joined only last year.
The spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached for the commission’s moved on Mr. Sheriff.
