Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) detectives yesterday began a massive search for more assets of
suspects in the N31 billion arms funds probe.
The agency sent a special team to
Kaduna, Zaria and Sokoto to ascertain the assets of a former National
Security Adviser (NSA), Mr. Sambo Dasuki, and eight other suspects.
The other accused persons include a
former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; the ex-Director of
Finance in the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA), Shuaibu
Salisu; former Sokoto State Governor Attahiru Bafarawa; a former
Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC), Aminu Babakusa and Sagir Attahiru.
Dalhatu Investment Limited; ACACIA
Holdings Limited; and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited are also
accused of partaking in the massive misapplication of funds.
The anti-graft agency has also
established links with its counterparts in Britain, United States and
United Arab Emirates to track the assets of some of the accused persons.
Also yesterday, an EFCC source confirmed that it had uncovered more cases of looted funds.
But the commission might not be opposed to a plea bargain if the suspects will refund all looted funds for public use.
The EFCC is believed to have raised a special committee which has identified some choice assets of the accused persons.
The committee is said to be operating in a “restricted” manner because of the “vital” information at its disposal.
The source said: “After identifying the
assets, a team has been sent to Kaduna, Sokoto and Zaria to assess the
worth of the properties and put machinery in place to attach them.
“We have also established links with
anti-graft agencies in the UK, USA, UAE and some islands where a few
accused persons acquired assets.
Sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC
(Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court
Act, 2004 empower the anti-graft agency to invoke Interim Assets
Forfeiture Clause.
Section 28 of the EFCC Act reads: ‘Where
a person is arrested for an offence under this Act, the Commission
shall immediately trace and attach all the assets and properties of the
person acquired as a result of such economic or financial crime and
shall thereafter cause to be obtained an interim attachment order from
the Court.”
Section 13 of the Federal High Court Act
reads in part : “The Court may grant an injunction or appoint a
receiver by an interlocutory order in all cases in which it appears to
the Court to be just or convenient so to do.
“Any such order may be made either unconditionally or on such terms and conditions as the Court thinks just.”
More suspects are likely to be arrested, following the discovery of more fraud, The Nation learnt.
The source added: “All the findings so
far are like a tip of the iceberg. We have stumbled on fresh documents
on looted funds. But we are investigating all these before inviting
those connected for interaction.”
Asked if the suspects would be left to
go free after agreeing to forfeit their assets in a plea bargain, the
source said: “Why not? The EFCC may accept plea bargain from those
already on trial as long as they are ready to return all the looted
funds.
“The money we will get from them is
sufficient to cushion the 2016 budget. The fraud is monumental. Nigeria
needs money for development and if these accused persons offer to return
their loot, it is in the interest of the nation to accept it.”
“But we have not recovered money from
any of the accused persons”, he added, pleading not to be named because
of the “sensitivity” of the investigations.
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