Former aide-de-camp to former president Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Ojogbane Adegbe has said another Dasukigate may be imminent if he reveals what transpired in that administration. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) picked up Adegbe on Wednesday in Lagos where he was interrogated before he was flown to Abuja yesterday. It was gathered that ongoing interrogation of the former ADC by operatives of the EFCC could open up a new can of worms, which “could surpass what is now called Dasukigate.”
In December 2015, the Department of State Security (DSS) arrested Jonathan’s National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki and turned him over to the EFCC over his role in the $2.1 billion arms purchase scandal. The money, meant to purchase arms for the military fighting insurgency in the North-East, was allegedly diverted by the office of the NSA as 2015 campaign funds for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was the ruling party then. EFCC sources said the former ADC may soon give details of all he knows with regards to financial transactions and the dramatic personae involved in the last administration.
Preliminary findings, including recovered documents, were said to have hinted of large-scale questionable expenditure with funds sourced from and outside the arms purchase deals.
Another source said “most of the funds were reportedly diverted soon after the election was postponed from the originally scheduled date of February 14, 2015 to March 28, 2015…” Among the active participants in the alleged sleaze, was a top official of an agency set up to discourage militancy in the South-South, who is currently outside the country.
At the centre of the interrogation of the former ADC, who has been moved to Abuja, it was the “mind-boggling spending” during the two weeks’ extension of the general election, “which runs into several trillions of naira, when converted from foreign currency.” Sources said many top Nigerians,”including some very close persons” to the former president, may likely be called to explain and defend their roles in the handling of the funds, a chunk of which was sourced from the agency. Spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren could not be reached for comments on the arrest before press time Col. Adegbe, who was arrested in Lagos a few days ago, was said to be attending a senior officers course outside the former capital city, but on a visit, when he was picked up for interrogation. Before him, many serving and retired military officers had been interrogated in connection with the arms purchase deal during the Jonathan administration. They include former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (retd) and the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Amosu (retd) as well as some top politicians.
After arresting Dasuki, the EFCC arrested former chairman of Africa Independent Television (AIT), Chief Raymond Dokpesi, former Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh and former national chairman of the party, Alhaji Haliru Bello Mohammed and his son, Abbah. The anti-graft agency also arrested former governor of Kaduna State, Brigadier General Isa Jafaru, former minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, and the director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, Mr. Shuaibu Salisu In a related development, the anti-graft agency, yesterday, declared former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, (a.k.a. Tompolo) wanted. In an advertorial signed by the commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC said it declared Tompolo wanted following two bench warrants issued against him by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court, Lagos had on January 14 issued a bench warrant against Tompolo after he shunned an earlier summons dated January 12 issued on him by the judge. Following the refusal of the former war lard, Justice Buba then ordered the law enforcement agencies to produce Tompoloo before him o February 8 for him to answer the charges.
Rather than honour the summons, Tompolo brought an application before the judge seeking to quash the bench warrant and arrest order on him. Tompolo is wanted in connection with a charge of N45.9 billion fraud filed against him and nine others by the commission. The anti-graft agency in the advertorial, which carried Tompolo’s photography, described him as a 47-year-old dark complexioned man from Okerenkoko, Gbaramatu Kingdom in the Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State. It also gave Tompolo’s address whom it said speaks both English and Izon languages as No. 1 Chief Agbanuy Street DDPA Extension, Warri, Delta State.