REVEALED: HOW NIGERIA ANTI-CORRUPTION CRUSADE IS BEING SCUTTLED
*Why EFCC’s best Investigators Were Redeployed. .

In the opinion of many Nigerians, the diminutive credibility held by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was mortified by the forced exit of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu from the Chairman’s seat. Incidentally, even before Mrs. Farida Waziri assumed office as the Chairman of the Commission, many had the belief that the retired Assistant Inspector General of Police had everything it takes to steer the ship of the anti-graft agency. With her status as the former head of the Force Criminal Investigation Department and her experience as the head of the Police Anti-Fraud Unit, no one had any cause to doubt her competence.
The fact that in her years at the Anti-Fraud Unit, both Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Ibrahim Lamorde served under her further gave her the confidence of Nigerians. Moreover, being known as a woman with a reputation of being fearless in pursuing any cause she believes in, coupled with the fact that she is well thought of in the Police circles, as well as among lawyers and judges, contributed immensely to her intimidating résumé.
Her many admirers argue that she operates with a distinct style of leadership, since she has resumed, she has gone about her duties with utmost seriousness her position requires and had refused to attract undue media presence to herself. And she does not frequent media houses to cast aspersion on the integrity of other people before their trial as was the modus operandi before now.
It is also being said by those who believe in Mrs. Waziri’s style that she is different from her predecessor in the sense that she has not recklessly violated the fundamental human rights of suspects by detaining them indiscriminately and ad infinitum. What obtains now is that suspects are duly invited for questioning, they are thoroughly investigated and if anything is established against them, they are summarily charged to court. It is therefore very obvious that the rule of law, due process and constitutionalism are now strictly adhered to by the EFCC. Many also see her as pursuing the anti-corruption war with greater vigour and this is yielding results. Three more former Governors, Chief Michael Botmang of Plateau, Boni Haruna of Adamawa and Rasheed Ladoja of Oyo have been arraigned on corruption and money laundering charges by the Waziri led EFCC.
The number of former Governors prosecuted has thereby risen to eleven. It is also being claimed that under the leadership of the wife of Senator Ajuju Waziri, Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Turkey, the EFCC recorded 50 convictions in seven months, which equals one third of all the convictions secured by the Commission in the last five years. The Chairman also disclosed that assets in excess of N50 billion were recovered by the EFCC in the last eight months.
Many however, have not forgotten that the appointment of Farida Waziri as EFCC Chairperson was not without hues and cries. Before she came on board, insinuations were rife that she was particularly selected to systematically compromise the integrity of the anti-graft agency, shield corrupt people, especially ex-Governors from prosecution and put paid to high profile corruption cases. It is believed in many quarters that Mrs. Waziri was forced on Nigerians as Chairman of the EFCC.
A source recently disclosed to Street Journal that Mrs. Waziri might be experienced and academically qualified for the job, but when the factor of morality is considered, her name should not even come up for nomination. According to the source, when the EFCC Chairperson was at the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, she allegedly worked in collaboration with major perpetrators of advance fee fraud (419) and it was under her watch that 419 crimes skyrocketed. It was even alleged that in her days at the Special Fraud Unit, she was a regular face at the Federal Palace Hotel Ikoyi suite then occupied by Fred Ajudua, one of Nigeria’s most notorious 419 kingpins. Many have argued that since Waziri took over, EFCC has stopped being what it used to be. According to them, arrest and detention are not the same and we have had a lot of the former. There have been many cases of arrests without clear results and even where convictions are obtained, they are not more than what can be called a slap on the wrist.
Sources also disclosed that the anti-graft war might not be a sincere one after all; the reason given was that such wars need to be waged even within the EFCC itself. The source pointed out that a lot of things are going on within the agency, for instance, one of the first moves made by Mrs. Waziri was the recruitment of a Tiv policeman named James Vanderfah Tersudh to take charge of the Commission’s accounts department.
According to inside sources, it is a cautious military strategy for a new office holder to scheme to operate without the shadow of his predecessor; this can only be achieved by weeding out all the loyalists of the former boss. That justifies the move to rid the agency of all the ‘Nuhu Ribadu boys’ and Ibrahim Lamorde loyalists. One of the first victims was Bello Yahaya, a Superintendent of Police who was secretly redeployed to the Nigeria Police by the EFCC Chairman. Prior to his redeployment, Bello Yahaya was the main EFCC officer who investigated Chief James Ibori for vast corruption and graft while he was the Governor of Delta State between 1997 and 2003. Bello Yahaya who had trained with the London Metropolitan Police was the designated officer handling cases involving the London Metropolitan Police in Nigeria. With his removal, Ibori’s case lost its key investigating police officer. The same fate befell the former head of the Banking and Fraud Unit, Mohammed Wakili, an Assistant Commissioner of Police who was until his redeployment the Deputy Director of Operations. He was redeployed to Gombe, a relatively new office which hardly handles more than a dozen cases per month. Bukar Abba, the Deputy Director of Organizational Services at the headquarters has also been transferred to Gombe as an Account Officer. His former position has since been phased out of EFCC.
Another officer, Bayo Okaru, former Director of Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) too was not spared; he was sacked by Waziri in November, 2008. Also affected was Bala Ciroma, the Head of Operations at the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. His office was scrapped because of his reported loyalty to former FCT Minister, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, a well known friend of Nuhu Ribadu.
Seidu Atteh, former Head of Legal Operations in the Lagos office was once adjudged one of the finest officers in the Lagos office of the EFCC. That however was not enough to prevent him and Emeka Nwanyi, the Head of Operations in Gombe from being sent back to the police headquarters.
Another investigator, Abubakar Madaki who worked on the corruption investigations of several former Governors including Ayo Fayose, Rashidi Ladoja and his deputy, Adebayo Alao-Akala was redeployed to the Police headquarters in Abuja. The wind of redeployment also swept off the dreaded investigator, Ibrahim Magu who shuttled between the Lagos and Abuja offices of the EFCC due to his versatility.
Tunde Ogunsakin, the Director of Operations of the Agency too was redeployed to the Nigeria Police Force under what many describe as debatable circumstances. During the time of Lamorde, Ogunsakin was said to have had a petition written against him that he demanded a bribe of N 15 million from Alhaji Abubakar Sokoto, the Chairman of the Nigerian Pension Board who was being investigated by the EFCC then. Ogunsakin has since been replaced by Stephen Otitiju, an Assistant Commissioner of Police.
Those in the know however revealed to Street Journal that the former Director of Operations had been having a silent running battle with Mrs. Farida Waziri over the direction of the agency, especially how the EFCC should carry on with its primary function of fighting corruption.
It was gathered that while Ogunsakin had been insisting on taking some cases on which investigations have been concluded to court, Mrs. Waziri had always asked him to hold on for a while. The casus belli was nothing but the rise of Ogunsakin in the agency. Having been deployed from the ICPC, he was suddenly made the number two man. What Farida couldn’t take according to sources was that ‘Ogunsakin was warming up to take over from her’. Therefore, Mrs. Waziri was secretly watching her back, she kept tabs on every of Ogunsakin’s activities including his studies at the University of Abuja. A new twist was added to their cold war when a recent publication indicated that Ogunsakin, a part time Law student of the University of Abuja, was engaged in examination malpractices. The newspaper report alleged that Ogunsakin engaged a student, Bright Edobor to write one of his papers for him in the Law Faculty Examination.
Sources close to Ogunsakin have however denied the allegation as they stated that the paper in which the former EFCC top shot was said to have cheated had not even been written as at the time of publication of the story. It was however gathered that Mrs. Waziri had taken a copy of the paper to Aso Rock where she reported the matter to President Umar Yar’Adua and asked for his permission to remove Ogunsakin from the agency. The EFCC has also demanded a full scale investigation into the former Director of Operations’ comings and goings as a student. If found culpable; he might be rusticated and also land a 21 year jail term.
The Chairman is said to be the all in all in the agency, moreover she has the ears of Mr. President having been the First Lady’s long standing friend. One of the many allegations leveled against her was that she allegedly used her brother, who doubles as her Special Assistant to make cash withdrawals from the agency. These withdrawals were reportedly made under the spurious heading of ‘information funds’.
Between June 23 and October 22, 2008, Mrs. Waziri and her brother, Yisa Terfa Moses allegedly withdrew N 75 million as information funds from the EFCC accounts. The breakdown of the ‘information funds’ was given as follows: Monday, 23rd June, 2008, N 5 million; June 26, 2008, N 15 million; July 22, N 15 million; September 20, N10 million and in October 14, N 10 million.
However, no information project has either been seen or heard of and no account of such are provided for in the EFCC account books. Intra agency sources however disclosed to Street Journal that Mrs. Waziri used the funds to fete and take care of some journalists in an attempt to prop up her image which was becoming battered by the day.
Incidentally, the cash withdrawals also coincided with the discovery of the EFCC Chairperson’s purchase of a Federal Government owned quarters in Wuse II. Since assuming office in 2008, Mrs. Waziri has allegedly acquired several choice properties, for instance from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), she purchased a Federal Government house valued at N 50.04 million. The house is a 5 bedroom detached house with boys’ quarters and it is located at No 10, Port Novo Street, Wuse II. The property which is under renovation was said to be grossly undervalued and the reason was not far fetched, the then FCT Minister, Modibbo was being investigated, so he would do anything to curry the anti-graft agency boss’ favour. Checks revealed that N 5million of the money was paid through a draft issued by Access Bank. And the Access Bank link in itself is said to be suspicious because on assumption of office as EFCC boss, she had moved almost all the Commission’s accounts to the bank as one of her daughters was said to be one of Access Bank’s employees.
EFCC spokesman, Femi Babafemi has however come out to say that only EFCC salary accounts were moved to the bank.
Those who are all out to prove that Mrs. Waziri might not be incorruptible as perceived reminded Street Journal of the role she played in former Governor George Akume’s case with the EFCC before she was ‘selected for the Chairman’s job’. She was said to have stood surety for the former Governor when he was arrested and was seeking bail. She signed on the 11th of November, 2007 and collected Akume’s passport which was seized by the Commission. Though she denied standing surety for the former Governor when she was being screened by the Senate, she said she only signed for the release of the passport to her and that the only relationship between her and Akume was nothing more than that of a former Governor and a citizen of Benue State. But the question most people are asking is that if the former Governor had breached the terms of the release of the passport or had bolted to avoid prosecution, would she not have been held responsible?.
She was also said to have helped James Ibori at one point.
Observers have opined that if due process was not followed in the time of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, now that Farida Waziri is in charge, it is as if it has been jettisoned.
Inside sources revealed that she works in partnership with former Inspectors General of Police who now act as bailers and guarantors for EFCC victims under Waziri’s watch. Such IGs are said to include Mohammmadu Gambo Jimeta, Aliyu Attah and M.D Yusuf. The trio has become ‘internal board of Directors’ of the EFCC. Incidentally, they all have a mutual hatred for Ribadu, simply because he refused their intervention to save former I.G Tafa Balogun when he got into trouble with the anti-graft commission.
One funny thing is the observation that almost all the mentioned top cops have at one time or the other been enmeshed in one controversy or the other.
Farida Waziri’s antagonists’ view point is that a person’s character can be assessed by the caliber of people he or she associates with. For instance, Aliyu Attah was noted for providing Fred Ajudua with a Police outrider at the peak of his 419 career. M.D Yusuf has not forgiven Ribadu for interrogating him regarding the Halliburton bribe scandal.
The former I.Gs are also linked with secret plans to sell Tafa Balogun’s properties back to him under the pretext that the Ribadu led EFCC did not follow due process in the disposing of the properties. Tongues are also wagging over the N16 billion loot recovered from Tafa Balogun, as no one can say precisely where the money is. It is being insinuated in some quarters that the money might have found its way back to the Ila Orangun born former police boss. Others however say the money has been put in fixed deposit in three different commercial banks instead of the Federation Account.
Many of those who thought the appointment of Mrs. Waziri would be devoid of excesses are already bemoaning their catastrophic miscalculation because the Chairman’s image never seems to be tired of receiving denting and devastating blows. A more recent one is the allegation that she got the gift of a brand new bullet proof GL 450 Mercedes-Benz SUV from Governor Godswill Akpabio. The vehicle according to sources is being kept in Gboko. Though the allegation has been vehemently denied, the particulars of the vehicle, its driver and the supplier were all named.
To a good number of Nigerians, conscious efforts are obviously being made to scuttle the anti-graft war. And as a source put it, “it is only a matter of time; it will soon become evident that the war against corruption is a sham. The belief being adopted by majority of Nigerians now is that the anti-corruption war is over. How does one explain that one of the mentioned bribe takers in the Halliburton scandal, Mohammed Dikko Yusuf played a major role in convincing his cousin, the President to forward Mrs. Waziri’s name as Chairman of the EFCC? ”
Yusuf’s role is however being described as self serving in some quarters. The logic is that by facilitating Waziri’s appointment as the head of the EFCC, he is rest assured that the agency that interrogated him over his involvement in the Halliburton scandal is now in the hands of a crony. In some other quarters however, it is believed that former Governor James Ibori and Bukola Saraki were largely instrumental to the hiring of Farida Waziri for the top EFCC job.
Information reaching Street Journal point in the direction that both of them did it to avoid jail: Ibori for himself and Saraki for his father. Both were under scrutiny before the 2007 elections, the former for his role in the mismanagement of funds belonging to Delta State and the latter over his role in the liquidation of Societé Generale Bank. Little wonder how Ibori found easily facilitated the transfer of his case from Kaduna to his home ground in Delta State.