… PDP Reacts
BEVERLY HILLS, December 01 (THEWILL) – Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, former governor, Sokoto State, and Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman Emeritus/founder, Africa Independent Television, were Tuesday arrested for questioning by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged fraud.
An official of the anti-graft agency, who pleaded anonymity, gave this hint in a phone conversation with THEWILL.
Bafarawa, who recently escaped arrest and 15 others, have been facing trial over misappropriation of public fund totalling N15 billion while in office.
The former governor is a political associate of the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
He accompanied Dasuki to court to answer charges of unlawful possession of firearms and alleged retention of funds, contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.
Sagir Bafarawa, the son of Bafarawa, was on Monday arrested alongside Bashir Yuguda, former minister of state for finance, Haliru Bello Mohammed, former minister state for defence and ex-national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, over arms deal scandal involving the former NSA.
It was alleged that Sagir acted as a front for his father when he collected about N4.6 billion from the NSA’s office.
Yuguda allegedly received NI.5 billion from the former NSA’s office through an unnamed company, for unstated purpose.
The former minister of state finance also allegedly received N1.275 billion from Stallion Group during the general elections campaign.
Also, N775 million was paid to him from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation for the unstated purpose. All these monies where paid to him between December 2014 and May 2015.
As at the time of this report, Yuguda and others were still being detained by the EFCC, our source said.
On the other hand, Dokpesi is alleged to have collected N2.1 billion from Dasuki, out of the monies meant to purchase arms to fight insurgency.
Meanwhile, after placing him on a on prolonged house arrest for about a month, the State Security Services (SSS) on Tuesday arrested Dasuki.
He was first arrested by the SSS in July after a prolonged siege on his Abuja home. He was charged to court with illegal possession of arms and money laundering.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court later granted him a request for his passport to be released, to enable him receive treatment abroad.
However, the former NSA’s plan to travel was thwarted by the SSS, which, on November 5 laid another siege to his Abuja residence.
But on Tuesday morning, SSS operatives ordered the former security chief out of his residence and drove him away amid tight security.
A source said he was driven to the SSS headquarters in the Asokoro District of Abuja.
In a quick response, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemned Tuesday’s arrest of Dokpesi, the party’s chieftain, by the APC-led Federal Government.
The party also raised an alarm that more notable PDP leaders had been listed for arrest over unproven allegations to cow and silence opposition in the country.
PDP’s national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh in a statement on Tuesday, said the military style of pronouncement of guilt on Dokpesi before any fair hearing, betrayed the fact that he was a victim of political persecution and mob trial by the APC government because of his association with the PDP.
The opposition party therefore called on the international community and rights bodies worldwide to note the growing impunity and gross violation of human rights by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government tailored to decimate the opposition and cow the media in Nigeria.
It insisted that while it is not against the anti-corruption crusade of the present administration, it must be carried out within the limits of the law.
The party stressed that the war against corruption must not be carried out as a guise to persecute and torture opposition elements in the country.
