THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday widened its reach in arresting suspects in the $2.1billion arms deal involving former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) and some influential Nigerians.
The arrest of Brig. Gen. Jafaru Isa (retd), an associate of President Muhammadu Buhari and former military governor of Kaduna State, was the first chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to be arrested in the alleged diver- sion of $2.1 billion meant for arms purchase by officials of the Jonathan administration.
The APC chieftain, who is now a guest of the EFCC, was the military administrator of Kaduna State from December 1993 to August 1996 during the military regime of the late Gen. Sani Abacha.
He was a very senior member of Buhari’s party, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), that later aligned with other opposition fronts to form the APC on whose platform he contested the gubernatorial election of Kano State.
Our sources also disclosed that Isa is a very close friend of Dasuki, the embattled former NSA.
It was from his residence in Asokoro, Abuja that EFCC operatives picked him up that night.
Before his arrest, EFCC sources noted that Isa had been invited to appear before the commission on the same Wednesday he was arrested. But rather than comply with the invitation, he allegedly wrote the commission through his lawyer. EFCC’s investigation allegedly exposed payment of N100mil- lion to Isa.
EFCC’s dissatisfaction with Isa’s stance and response, ac- cording to its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, led to his ar- rest to enable the suspect clarify the ‘questionable receipts’ from Dasuki. As he remains in EFCC detention, the commission noted that investigations into the allegations against him would continue.
In a related development, the Acting EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has in the last 24 hours been sighted twice in Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He was first seen in the Villa briefly on Wednesday and yesterday, he was back there.
The EFCC boss did not speak with reporters.
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