N1trn Fraud: Senate Approves Lamorde Arrest

The Senate yesterday approved a warrant of arrest against the former chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde for failing to appear before its committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions investigating the alleged N1trn misappropriation of proceeds of corruption.

The committee said it forwarded three different written requests of appearance to Lamorde between August and November last year, without him honouring any one of them. Therefore in their recommendation, they requested for a warrant of arrest, saying that unless this line of action is taken, the National Assembly might be drawn into consequential disrepute .

The deputy Senate President, Ike EKweremadu ,  quoted sections 88(1) and 89(1) of the 1999 constitution as amended to guide the senate on the committee’s recommendation. He said that what is required as regards the committee’s recommendation on issuance of warrant of arrest against Lamorde is for the committee itself to issue it by passing it through the office of the Senate President and not urging the Senate as a body to issue it.

Lamorde’s stewardship at the EFCC has been under the scrutiny of the Senate since August last year when a petitioner, George Uboh forwarded a petition against Lamorde to it , alleging that during his stay in office, he diverted over N1trn looted funds recovered by the commission from corrupt officials.

Uboh had alleged that the fraud  perpetrated by Larmode dated to his days as the director of operations of the EFCC between 2003 and 2007 as well as an acting chairman between June 2007 and May 2008.