EFCC Unfolds Fresh N116bn Scam

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has unfolded a fresh N116 billion scam following which 18 officials the Office of the National Security were been probed.

The committee set up by the Federal Government to probe contracts awarded by the Office of the National Security Adviser from 2011 to 2015 indicted the 18 officials and other aides to the immediate past National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

A reliable source sad that some of the officials of the ONSA were believed to have awarded fictitious contracts to themselves through proxies in a bid to divert public funds.

The panel had indicted a former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Security and Intelligence, Mr. Bello Matawalle; a former Special Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on New Partnership for Africa’s Development, Dr. Tunji Olagunju; a former Principal General Staff Officer at the ONSA.

Brig.-Gen A.S Mormoni-Bashir; a Director at the ONSA, Ambassador Clement Layiwola; a former aide to the NSA, Col. Bello Fadile (retd.); and a former Director of Finance and Administration at the ONSA, Alhaji Shuaibu Salisu, among others.

A reliable source said some of the 18 officials might have connived with the principal suspects to perpetrate fraud.

It was also gathered that the EFCC was also investigating some firms and individuals for non-payment of Value Added Tax and other taxes on the contracts they were awarded at the NSA office.

The Presidency had, on Friday, revealed that 300 individuals and firms were indicted over contracts awarded by the ONSA between 2011 and 2015.

The firms were indicted by a committee set up by the Federal Government to probe contracts. The companies include Julius Berger PLC and Daar Investment and Holdings Limited.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had, in a statement on Thursday, said the committee on the latest probe was different from the committee investigating the Defence Arms and Equipment Procurement.

He added that the committee discovered that there was a total disregard for salient provisions of the Public Procurement Act in the award of contracts by ONSA.