Operatives of the DSS had on
November 21, 2017 prevented men of the EFCC from arresting Ekpenyong and a
former boss of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayodele Oke.
One of our correspondents, who
witnessed the arrest of Ekpenyong at his residence at 46 Mamman Nasir Street,
Asokoro District, Abuja, reported that EFCC operatives, accompanied by over 20
armed policemen, searched the white mansion for about two hours.
It was, however, learnt that no
money was found in the building.
It could not be established if
any incriminating document was found in the house.
Around 3.20pm, however, Ekpenyong
was taken away in a black Toyota Land Cruiser and driven to the head office of
the EFCC in the Wuse 2 area of Abuja.
A source at the EFCC said, “The
search was not as fruitful as we had expected it to be because the man had 10
months to dispose of all evidences. We are, however, questioning him and we
will get more information.”
When contacted on the telephone,
the spokesman for the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed Ekpenyong’s arrest.
He, however, declined to provide more information.
“The former DSS boss was brought
in this afternoon. He is currently in our custody,” Uwujaren said.
Ekpenyong was, however, released
a few hours later to return on Friday for another round of questioning.
Ekpenyong, it was learnt, was
under investigation as part of a larger probe into how billions of naira was
transferred from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the DSS and the National
Intelligence Agency in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.
While $289,202,382 (N57.8bn at
the time) was given to the NIA, about N20bn was handed to the Department of
State Services.
The funds were approved by the
embattled former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.),
reportedly under the instruction of then President, Goodluck Jonathan,
according to memos.
“We want to know how the money
given to the DSS was spent and how much Ekpenyong left for his successor (Lawal
Daura),” an EFCC source said.
The EFCC is working on the theory
that Daura allegedly diverted the funds left behind by Ekpenyong.
“When we tried to investigate the
matter, the DSS, under the leadership of Daura, refused to cooperate with us
and even threatened to shoot our men when we attempted to execute a search
warrant last year. We believe he was trying to cover his tracks,” the source
said.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that the
EFCC would invite more officials of the DSS as part of investigations into the
$2.1bn arms scam.
Recall that the EFCC had, in a
statement, last year said several DSS officials had been summoned for their
alleged role in the scam but that Daura refused to cooperate.
“In the course of investigating
the arms procurement scandal, the office of the commission has had cause to
request the release of officers of other security agencies, including the
Nigerian army, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Navy and now the DSS, for
questioning. All, but the DSS, have acceded to this request,” the EFCC had
lamented.
The DSS had been refusing to
cooperate on the grounds that the Act establishing the agency states that the
agency shall only be answerable to the Presidency and, therefore, only the
Presidency can investigate it.
Osinbajo gives Magu freedom to
probe DSS
It was learnt that the acting
President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, had given the acting EFCC Chairman, Mr Ibrahim
Magu, the power to investigate the DSS.
A source added, “By the DSS
Instrument 1 of 1999, no person or agency is empowered to investigate the
spending or operational matter of the DSS except the President and that is what
Daura had been taking advantage of.
“However, following the meeting
between the acting President and the new acting head of the DSS, Osinbajo asked
the DSS to give the EFCC full cooperation and that was why we were able to
search Ekpenyong’s house today without hindrance.
“In the coming days, we will
invite more DSS officials for questioning.”
Security officials seize ex-DSS
DG, Daura’s passport
Meanwhile, the dismissed
Director-General of the DSS, Daura, who is currently on house arrest, has got
his passport seized by security officials.
This was just as investigations
continued into his role in the siege to the National Assembly complex on
Tuesday.
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While some police sources said
the house arrest of Daura began on Wednesday evening, others said he regained
his freedom from security operatives and was asked to go home on Thursday.
Reliable sources said on Thursday
that while Daura regained his freedom, his passport was seized.
A source said, “On Thursday,
Daura was asked to leave the custody, but his passport was taken from him. This
is to ensure that he does not leave the country until all investigations about
him are concluded.
“Immediately after leaving the
Aso Rock on Tuesday, he was taken to the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad
facility in the Guzape area of Abuja for interrogation. He was then taken to a
facility in Gwarinpa where he had been under a house arrest.”
The police authorities which are
investigating Daura have yet to provide any information officially on the
matter.
The Force Public Relations
Officer, acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Moshood, had yet to answer
calls made to his line on the matter or reply to a text message sent on
inquiries about Daura.
We will review detention, other
cases – New DG, DSS
Daura’s successor and acting
Director General of the DSS, Mr Mathew Seiyefa, on Thursday, promised to review
past activities of the agency, which he said must have affected its perception
by the public.
He also said he had yet to be
briefed on the detention of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo
Dasuki (retd,).
Seiyefa spoke at a media briefing
at the national headquarters of the agency in Abuja on Thursday.
Seiyefa resumed as the boss of
the secret service on Tuesday when his predecessor, Daura, was relieved of his
position because of the role he played in deploying masked operatives in the
National Assembly on Tuesday.
Probably sensing the anger of the
public against the agency over such actions, Seiyefa said that the agency would
review all actions that the public perceived to be an adversary.
He said, “We are reviewing all
issues that have brought about the negative perception of the service. Such
issues like detention, arrest and others.
“The perceived to be human rights
abuses will be reviewed. Some of our recent actions would be reviewed in order
to learn where we have taken actions that are perceived to be adversarial.”
(PUNCH).
