by Nicholas Ibekwe,
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested the immediate past Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency [NIMASA], Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi, two weeks after he was fired from his post.
A source in NIMASA told PREMIUM TIMES Mr. Akpobolokemi was arrested in Lagos Thursday morning and was detained at the Lagos office of the EFCC in the Ikoyi area of the city.
“He was taken in this morning around 10 a.m.,” the NIMASA insider said. “Some of our other officials have also been summoned while EFCC operatives have been conducting discreet investigation here. There is tension everywhere.
“One of our people just returned from EFCC and he told me the former DG is still there, sweating profusely as he was being questioned by investigators.”
Our source said while at NIMASA headquarters, EFCC operatives asked questions about some curious multibillion naira transactions approved by Mr. Akpobolokemi, especially during the dying days of the last administration.
“For instance, they wanted to know how a whooping N13 billion was spent on the acquisition of land for the permanent site of the Nigerian Maritime University in Delta,” our source said.
“They also asked about other transactions they believed were fraudulent, including transfers of millions of dollars from NIMASA accounts to other accounts… Read full