The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released Babachir Lawal,
former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF).
Lawal, who
has been in EFCC custody since Wednesday, was released on bail on Friday evening.
His
detention happened barely 24 hours after former President Olusegun
Obasanjo wrote a strongly-worded letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing
him of condoning corrupt practices among his allies.
This
prompted speculations that Lawal was detained because of Obasanjo’s letter.
But the
EFCC denied such claim, saying it had nothing to do with Obasanjo’s letter and
that both incidents were coincidental.
Lawal’s
travails began on December 14, 2016, when the senate ad-hoc committee
on humanitarian crisis in the north-east indicted him of fraud.
He was
implicated in a grass-cutting contract awarded to his company, for the clearing
of “invasive plant species” in Yobe state, through the Presidential Initiative
on Northeast (PINE).
He was
accused of using his company Rholavision Engineering Ltd for a contract for the
clearing of evasive plant species in Yobe.
Lawal’s
crime, according to the ad-hoc committee, included his alleged spending of N570
million to cut grass.
President
Muhammadu Buhari later set up a panel headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to
probe the allegations.
The
Osinbajo report did not exculpate Lawal whose appointment Buhari terminated and
appointed Boss Mustapha as replacement.
- The Cable
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