By Chizoba Ogbeche
Abuja
The federal government will today arraign the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki (retd); former governor of Sokoto state, Attahiru Bafarawa; former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; as well as one time Director of Finance in the Office of the NSA, Mr. Shuaibu Salisu, and five others over their alleged involved in the misappropriation of $2.1billion fund meant for the procurement of arms.
The other five among those to be arraigned on a 19-count charge include; a former Executive Director of NNPC, Aminu Baba Kus; Sagir Attahiru; Dalhatu Investment Limited; Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.
Investigation into the arms procurement scam was initiated by the Department of State Services (DSS) was eventually transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with the suspects being arrested and quizzed, just as efforts are on to arrest for questioning others reportedly implicated in the scam.
The investigation Blueprint gathered revealed a N13.570 billion “agreement” between Dasuki and the ex-Director of Finance; transfer of N1.45billion to Acacia Holdings Limited’s account for special prayers; N2.1billion given to DAAR Investment and Holding Company Limited for publicity, N170 million for a four-bedroom duplex; N380million to support re-election of members of the House of Representatives; and N750 million paid into Reliance Referral Hospital Limited’s account for special prayers.
President of the Newspaper Proprietors of Nigeria (NPAN) and publisher of ThisDay Newspapers, Nduka Obaiegbena, was also said to have been paid N670million; N260 million was transferred to Tony Anenih and N345 million traced to a former President of the Senate, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu.
A source at the commission, however, said all the suspects have been divided into two groups for trial before Justice H.Y. Baba and Justice Peter.O. Baffin, of the Abuja High Court.
