The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC will soon begin the probe of the nation’s oil and gas industry as part of the current anti-corruption war of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
The roles of some principal officers in the former Goodluck Jonathan administration, including the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke; her counterpart in the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; and an oil magnate, Kola Alukowill come under intense scrutiny.
The Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, said this in Abuja when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes to defend the commission’s 2016 budget proposals.
In his presentation before the lawmakers on Monday, Magu said “The commission will soon move into the petroleum sector”, but called on the National Assembly to support the efforts of the agency by making more funds available for its operations.
An EFCC source also hinted that another round of investigations into the $2.1billion arms deals is to begin tomorrow, to unravel how the Goodluck Jonathan Administration bought €3,654,121million worth of vehicles for the Republic of Niger in October 2013 and April 2014.
The cash was withdrawn from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) account in two installments of €1, 401,869 and €2,252,252.25,
The commission is also seeking to verify whether or not the vehicles were bought and under diplomatic or bilateral security cooperation.
The agency plans to quiz some more public figures, including former Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, some former Service Chiefs and serving military officers in connection with the $2.1billion arms deals.
Some suspects may be taken into custody, it was learnt.
The EFCC,it was gathered, is through with the first phase of the probe, which led to the arraignment of ex-National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki and 10 others.
The interrogation of the likes of Dasuki and the others now facing trial or about to be arraigned seems to have convinced the agency of the need to dig deeper than originally planned.
A top source said: “We are beginning the second phase of the ongoing investigation of the $2.1b arms deals on Monday. From the preliminary findings, the scandal is mind-boggling.
“We are going to question more high-profile serving and former public officers, including a former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on the release of some funds.
“We want the ex-Minister to shed more light on how about $322million was disbursed to the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA).
“Some serving and former military chiefs will have to respond to issues which we have already isolated for clarification.”
The source said investigators had already obtained the list of military equipment which were bought and the inventory by the Armed Forces.
“This explains why some serving and former military chiefs will need to come and assist our investigators. Some of the companies which supplied these equipment have been contacted too.”
On the purchase of security vehicles for Niger Republic, the EFCC is said to have established that the money was withdrawn from the ONSA account in two installments of €1, 401,869 and €2,252,252.25,
The initial cash of €1, 401,869 was drawn from the Central Bank in an October 2013 through ONSA memo ACCT/87/VOL.1/384.
The second tranche of €2,252,252.25 was got from the CBN in an April 1, 2014 via a memo ACCT/87/VOL.1/60
The first memo to the CBN Governor, “Transfer of foreign exchange”, said: “You are please requested to transfer the sum of €1, 401,869.00 only in favour of SEI Societe d’equipments Internanaux-Niamey-Niger BP 11737 as payment for the supply of security vehicles to Republic of Niger. The wire transfer details are as follows: Banque: SONIBANK (Republique du Niger-Niamey). Compete N025111123981/22. Code Banque:80064. Code Guichrt: 01001.
“The amount should be charged to National Security Adviser Account no. 0020172241019 with the Central Bank of Nigeris Abuja and all charges thereto. Please accept the assurances of the National Security Adviser.”
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