UPDATE: Arms Deal: Dasuki, Bafarawa, Dokpesi Arrested

L-R: Sambo Dasuki, Attahiru Bafarawa, Raymond Dokpesi (Image source: Daily Trust)

Former Sokoto state governor Attahiru Bafarawa and Chairman Africa Independent Television (AIT) Raymond Dokpesi, were also arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday in connection with the alleged ₦2 billion arms deal. Agents of Department of State Service (DSS) yesterday arrested former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, ending a three-week siege to his house in Abuja.

Daily Trust report continues:

Dasuki was charged to court in July for alleged illegal possession of arms and money laundering. Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court later granted him permission to travel abroad for treatment.

However, the DSS operatives laid siege to his house, keeping him indoors.

President Muhammadu Buhari ordered for his arrest on November 17, after a military investigative panel report indicted him in the US$2 billion arm scandal.

Daily Trust gathered that Dasuki was taken from his Asokoro home early in the morning and driven to the Abuja head office of the service.‎

Lawyers to the former NSA said yesterday they were studying the situation.

Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN), one of the lawyers on Dasuki’s legal team, told Daily Trust on phone that the family had notified him of the arrest.

“Dasuki’s son contacted me and told me that his father was forcefully taken away without any arrest warrant. We are studying the situation and we would react appropriately,” Raji said.

Dasuki is expected to be handed over to the EFCC after checks by the DSS.

The investigations committee into arms procurement under the Goodluck Jonathan administration said in its interim report that it found extra-budgetary spending to the tune of ₦643.8 billion and an additional US$2.2 billion in the foreign currency component.

The former NSA had said in his defence that all procurements were done with the approval of then President Goodluck ‎Jonathan.

But the former President had since denied that he had authorized such payments.

With regard to Bafarawa and Dokpesi, investigators want them to explain how huge government funds were paid into their accounts by the office of the former NSA.

Dokpesi was picked up for allegedly collecting ₦2.1billion from the CBN on the instruction of the former NSA.

Bafarawa was alleged to have received about ₦4.6 billion from the office of the NSA with no clear reason for payment.  His son, Sagir, was arrested on Monday by the EFCC. Daily Trust heard that Bafarawa and his lawyer were still at the EFCC as at 8pm yesterday.

Also among those in detention at the EFCC over the arms deal, according to a reliable source, is Aminu Babakusa, a former Group Executive Director (GED) at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).  Babakusa was allegedly given N2.2bn.

Abba M.T. Usman, who is also under detention, was allegedly paid to supply six helicopters and some ammunition, but none was supplied.

Former Minister of State for Finance Bashir Yuguda, who was arrested on Monday, is still in custody.
Sources said Yuguda allegedly received ₦1.5billion from the former NSA’s office through an unnamed company, for unstated purpose.

He was also said to have received N1.275billion from some rice merchants during the campaigns for the last general election.  

Another ₦775million was also allegedly paid to him from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation for unstated purpose.

Daily Trust learnt that the EFCC began questioning officials of the ONSA over two weeks ago.
Among them is Shuaibu Salisu, a former director of finance and administration in Dasuki’s office.
He is said to be a staff of the National Intelligence Agency, and a joint signatory with Dasuki to the NSA’s office account.

“Right now, the detention facility at the EFCC is a bit over-stretched. Some have been granted bail because of this. But the EFCC has secured court approval to hold the detainees for some time.

Interrogation is going on and so there is limited access to them even on phone,” a source told Daily Trust last night.