Anti-graft agencies plan to declare former PDP chairman Adamu Mu'azu a wanted man

FORMER Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman and ex-Bauchi State governor Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu could be arrested by security agents over the next few days after investigations revealed that he was also a beneficiary of the $2.1bn Dasukigate scandal.

 

Former national security adviser Retired Col Sambo Dasuki is at the centre of a $2.1bn arms scam christened Dasukigate under which money voted for the military to fight the Boko Haram insurgency was diverted to private accounts. According to investigators, money was not only embezzled privately but it was also spent funding the governing PDP's 2015 election campaign.

 

Col Dasuki and several leading party members, including its publicity secretary Chief Olisa Metuh are currently in custody and facing corruption charges. There is now the likelihood that Alhaji Mu’azu, the ex-comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service Abdullahi Dikko Inde and four others may be declared wanted in connection with the scandal.

 

Apparently, the four others include the former PDP Kebbi State governorship candidate General Bello Sarkin Yaki, a former top official in the office of the national security adviser Col Bello Fadile, a one-time special assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on domestic affairs Waripamowei Dudafa and a former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team Abdulrasheed Maina. Investigations have so far shown that some of the officers have questions to answer on some expenditures incurred by the Jonathan administration.

 

Investigations reveal that Alhaji Mu’azu was handed N500m (£1.76m) cash, Alhaji Yaki, N200m and Col Fadile N100m, while Mr Dudafa was handed N10bn to be given to the delegates to the PDP’s nomination convention. Mr Maina in turn is being investigated for a N20bn pension fraud, while Alhaji Dikko is being probed for a N3.5bn incurred on an internet project.

 

All these officials have been invited by the Special Investigative Committee probing the activities of office of the national security adviser but have refused to turn up. Several of them are believed to have fled the country, so the next step may be for the security agents to issue warrants for their arrest.

 

One source said: “Security agencies have given these former public officers enough time but they have not turned up to clear some disbursements and expenditures traced to them. The committee is not saying that they are guilty but it is imperative for them to appear before the team handling these issues.

 

“They have up to one week to honour the invitation of the panel or else they will be declared wanted by the appropriate security agencies."

 

One other source added: “Some of the accused persons on trial admitted disbursing arms cash to a few of these former public officers. For instance, Dasuki, in his statement, said he handed over N10bn to Dudafa for disbursement to delegates to the PDP nomination convention.

 

“A former minister of finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, who is standing trial, said Yakin benefited to the tune of N200m from some funds. Most of these people are holed up abroad but once they are declared wanted by security agencies, it will be easier to extradite them.”