The special investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu and his support team are set to commence quizzing officials involved in alleged sharp practices at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and related entities, Daily Trust findings reveal.
Following the sacking and subsequent arrest of Godwin Emiefele, Tinubu appointed Jim Obazee as a Special Investigator to probe the activities of the CBN and other related entities.
In a letter dated July 28, Tinubu said the appointment of Obazee, relying on the fundamental objective outlined in Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution, was in furtherance of his administration’s anti-corruption fight.
Daily Trust reports that the Inspector General of Police had on September 6 deployed a four-man team of senior officers to support the special investigator to probe the activities of the apex bank and related entities.
The deployment was in response to a letter by Obazee dated August 18 requesting the IGP to deploy senior officers to his office to facilitate the smooth take-off and execution of his assignment.
In response, the IGP in a letter titled, ‘Deployment of Police Personnel’ with reference number TH:5361/FS/FHQ/ABJ/T.5/428, listed the deployed officers as DCP Eloho Edwin Okpoziakpo; CSP Celestine Odo; CSP Segun Aderoju and DSP Tijani A. Bako.
It was gathered that preliminary findings based on developed intelligence by the investigating team led by DCP Eloho are already causing sleepless nights to the top management at the CBN and NIRSAL.
Daily Trust had in December 2022, investigated multiple corruption allegations that rocked NIRSAL under the former managing director, Aliyu Abbati Abdulhameed, who was later fired by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
Apart from revisiting the N5.6 billion wheat project scandal in Kano and Jigawa states, a source confided in Daily Trust that the investigators would be digging into the alleged allocation of about N600,000 monthly for the upkeep of the former MD’s dogs.
It was gathered that some close aides of the embattled ex-CBN governor and officials of other affected entities are jittery as the crack team is set to start quizzing them over some contracts at NIRSAL, as well as the CBN’s Anchor Borrowers Programme soon.
Among the contracts is that for the design, development, and hosting of the Jigawa State unemployed graduate database for NIRSAL which was first awarded to a company, Syspec Network Limited of No.20 Jalingo Shopping Complex, Jalingo, Taraba State.
The contract award letter dated May 23, 2016, with Reference Number: MD/PROC/013 was signed by the ousted Managing Director of NIRSAL, Aliyu Abdulhameed. It was said to have been re-awarded several times as a conduit.
“The investigators are also set to unravel how the Anchor Borrowers funds were being kept as fixed deposits by parties close to the embattled CBN governor. This scheme was to allow parties involved to scoop the interest generated by the deposits.
“This development led to a significant delay in the delivery of fertilizers and other inputs to farmers, and by the time the inputs were eventually supplied, the planting season would have been over even as they (farmers) were expected to pay for the unsupplied inputs,” a source told Daily Trust.
Daily Trust reports that the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme guidelines stipulate that upon harvest, benefiting farmers are to repay their loans with produce (which must cover the loan principal and interest) to an anchor, who pays the cash equivalent to the farmer’s account.
Another source confided in Daily Trust that among those involved in the fixed deposits racket is an aide of the ex-CBN governor (names withheld) who is said to have operated a total of 61 bank accounts that included 44 fixed deposit accounts and 2 treasury bills accounts.
Daily Trust reports that in a letter dated July 28, Tinubu said the appointment of Obazee, relying on the fundamental objective outlined in Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution, was in furtherance of his administration’s anti-corruption fight.
Prior to his appointment, Obazee was the chief executive officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) until 2017. His job was with immediate effect, and he was asked to report directly to the president.
It was gathered that startling preliminary intelligence by the investigator’s team headed by DCP Eloho is already sending jitters down the spines of top management staff of the CBN and NIRSAL.
The IGP is said to have nominated Eloho, a renowned investigator, as head of the Special Investigator’s support team as part of his desire to boost President Tinubu’s fight against corruption and economic sabotage.
The president recently gave a marching order that all funds allocated to these agricultural programmes be recovered.
DAILY TRUST
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