The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed that $117,000 cash was seized from the home of a former chief of air staff, Adesola Amosu.Amosu and other senior officers are being probed by the anti-graft agency as part of investigations into the $2.1bn arms scam.
Earlier this month, EFCC officials seized houses and other properties worth N5bn belonging to the former chief of air staff and other senior military officers.
The Nation reports that Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC spokesman, confirmed that the said sum of money was seized from Amosu’s house. He stated this speaking on the sideline of the meeting held on Wednesday, February 17, between the anti-graft agency and a coalition of civil society groups in Lagos.
Meanwhile, Iliyasu Kwarbai, the deputy director of operations of the EFCC Lagos office, revealed that the anti-graft agency might have recovered around $5 million from “looters” but refused to give the details.
The meeting was a follow up to Tuesday’s peaceful rally in Abuja, where civil society organisations expressed support for the anti-corruption crusade.
Speaking with civil rights groups, Ibrahim Magu, the EFCC boss, accused some senior lawyers of blocking the government’s anti-corruption drive.
“While many lawyers have assisted the cause of the EFCC, there are a number of others that are working against efforts to tackle the Nigerian corruption problem.
“Many, including very senior lawyers, have continued to lend their skills and expertise to crooks to steal our money and, thereafter, help them to launder same. It’s time for us to say enough is enough.
“Since I assumed office three months ago, I have used every opportunity available to send the message that this fight is not for the EFCC alone,” he said.
Magu further stressed that other stakeholders must also play crucial roles because the forces they are trying to defeat are formidable.
According to him, the civil society organisations are important stakeholders in this crusade because they are the conscience of the people.
“We must be bothered that our nation has been raped by politicians, who treat the treasury as their personal accounts.
“A nation where monies meant for the prosecution of the war against insurgency are shared by top military officers and their civilian accomplices.
“A country where roads, hospitals and other infrastructure are in appalling state of decay because the money that should have been used to improve them have been diverted into private pockets, is not the nation of our dreams.
“We have reached a state where we have to ask the crucial question, can we continue like this? No. Thankfully, we have elected a government that is sold on the fight against corruption.
“By the same token, these times call for vigilance by all in following cases of corruption under prosecution to ensure that we put everyone on their toes.
“This would ensure not only the speedy determination of such matters, but that there is fairness and equity in the process and outcomes,” he said.
Earlier this month, the EFCC boss also took a swipe at members of the inner bar, when the national executive of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) paid him a courtesy call in his office in Abuja.
According to Magu, some prominent lawyers within the fold of the NBA help those who commit crimes by furnishing them with technical knowledge of how to escape the long arms of the law and how to hide the loot.
Naij.com*
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