By Yusuf Alli
.....Lobbyists storm Villa for
SGF, NIA DG
•Anxiety over Osinbajo panel’s
report
The Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) is considering pushing for the seizure of apartment 7B
at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, from where it made the famous haul of
$43million cash.
That will be in addition to
its Friday application to the Federal High Court in Lagos for the final
forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.
The commission said that no one
has come forward to claim the $43,449,947 (about N13 billion), N23, 218,000 and
£27,800 (about N10.6milion) cash found in the apartment.
Already, lobbyists are finding
their way to the Presidential Villa to plead for soft landing for the suspended
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and the
Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ayo Oke.
Some heads of security
agencies are said to be canvassing a second opinion on the probe of Oke.
Ahead of the submission of the
report of the Presidential Investigative Committee headed by Vice President
Yemi Osinbajo tomorrow, there was anxiety last night among government officials
who were implicated in the $43.4million haul.
Lawal is being probed over
alleged N200million contract awarded to a company, Global Vision Limited,
linked with him by the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) for
the clearing of ‘invasive plant species’ (weeds) in Yobe State.
Oke, on the other hand, is
being investigated in connection with the $43.4million cash haul.
Investigation however revealed
that apart from seeking the forfeiture of the $43.4million, EFCC might take
over apartment 7B.
A reliable source in EFCC
said: “The anti-graft commission will soon initiate moves to seize the
apartment 7B in Osborne Towers in line with its mandate.
“The circumstances surrounding
the purchase of the apartment have been faulted by this commission at a Federal
High Court in Lagos.
“Therefore, we are set to
invoke sections 26 and 28 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004.”
“So, we are not only
interested in the cash, we want to take over the apartment. But we are awaiting
the decision of the committee bring led by the Vice President.”
Section 26 reads in part: (1)
“Any property subject to forfeiture under this Act may be seized by the
Commission in the following circumstances –
(a) the seizure incidental to
an arrest or search; or
(b) in the case of property
liable to forfeiture upon process issued by the Court following an application
made by the Commission in accordance with the prescribed rules.
(2) Whenever property is
seized under any of the provisions of this Act, the Commission may –
(a) place the property under
seal; or(b) remove the property to a place designed by the Commission.
“(3) Properties taken or
detained under this section shall be deemed to be in the custody of the
Commission, subject only to an order of a Court.
Section 28 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.”
Sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC
(Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act,
2004.”
It was also gathered that
lobbyists have been mounting pressure on Presidency officials for soft landing
for Lawal and Oke.
It was also learnt that the
ongoing probe of the two officials has divided members of the kitchen cabinet
of the President.
A source in the presidency
said: “Even there is a split among the kitchen cabinet members on Lawal and
Oke. The sympathy is more for Oke in view of his high rating in the
intelligence community. He is considered a first class diplomat.
“As a matter of fact, Oke was
the first to initiate the recovery of Abacha loot during the tenure of
ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo as a desk officer at the Nigerian High
Commission in London. All attempts to make him compromise on Abacha loot
failed.
“Of all the security chiefs,
he was the only one who wrote an accurate report to ex-President Goodluck
Jonathan that he would lose the 2015 presidential election to President
Muhammadu Buhari at the risk of his job.
“This is why he was baffled
when the $43.4million was linked to the campaign funds for Jonathan.
“Oke has also travelled with
the President with his initiatives making the foreign trips of Buhari
attracting investments.
“What the lobbyists, including
some security chiefs, are saying is that Oke should not be humiliated out of
office. They said he should either be allowed to go on voluntary retirement or
compulsorily retired.
“Some security chiefs are of
the opinion that Oke’s trial might set a dangerous precedent.”
Asked to be forthcoming, the
presidency source said: “The whole thing is messy and complicated.”
But a source close to the
panel said: “Oke has not satisfactorily answered three questions:
*where he got the $43.4m from;
*why was Apartment 7B bought
in the name of his wife instead of NIA
*how the cash got to Apartment
7B in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi instead of bank
*“Oke actually admitted that
NIA got $289million Special Intervention Funds for nine projects. He also said
the $43.4million was part of the Special Intervention Funds.
“The NIA on Friday said it is
normal to use proxy for classified actions whether the covert front is a
relation or not is immaterial.”
But it could not be
immediately ascertained what will be the fate of the SGF.
A third source said:”As for
the SGF, the Senate report has made his fate more complicated. But these
lobbyists are still reading political meanings into the report of the Senate.
“It is left to Buhari to take
a final decision based on the findings of Osinbajo’s panel”
As the committee submits its
report tomorrow, there was anxiety among some top government officials
implicated in the $43.4m haul and PINE contracts.
“You seem to focus on the SGF
and Oke but some officials were also implicated in all these.
“There is a system failure and
all those involved might be sanctioned in one way or the other.
“This is why there is disquiet
in some parastatals whose officers were implicated,” the source added.
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