The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a former Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, for allegedly collecting N520m from
the embattled former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), on
the eve of the 2015 presidential election.
The
EFCC also accused the former SGF of giving N13bn contracts to companies linked
to him. The money was said to be part of the N58bn Ecological Fund he handled
while he was the SGF between 2011 and 2015.
Anyim,
who also served as the Senate President from 2000 to 2003, is the most senior
former government official ever to be arrested by the EFCC.
A
source at the EFCC said Anyim was previously invited by the anti-graft agency
but he refused to show up.
The
commission was said to have obtained a search warrant and stormed his house on
Thursday evening and searched the entire house and arrested him.
The
source said, “Anyim was arrested on Thursday, November 16, by operatives of the
anti-graft agency after he failed to honour a 10 am appointment by the agency. The
arrest took Anyim by surprise as the EFCC team, armed with a warrant,
immediately executed a search on the property during which they recovered
documents relevant to the investigation.
“Anyim
is accused of abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds and money
laundering. Apart from false assets declaration, he received N520m from the
ONSA on the eve of the 2015 general elections for unclear reasons and he also
used proxies and companies in which he had interest to corner contracts from
the Ecological Fund.”
The
source said Anyim allegedly awarded contracts to some companies linked to him
through which ecological funds were diverted.
- Punch
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