The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has written to the Military High Command to release all the officers who were implicated in the fritting away of $2.1 billion meant for the procurement of arms for the prosecution of the terror war in the North-East.
Vanguard learned last night that the EFCC tabled the formal request to the Defence Headquarters following the arrest and detention of officer with the rank of a Colonel, who served in the Procurement Department of the Office of the National Security Adviser and reportedly made a fortune, buying property in choice areas of the nation’s capital.
The affected military officer, who hails from Delta State, served as a Personal Assistant to the embattled ex-NSA, who is facing multiple charges over fraud, money laundering and breach of public trust along with powerful PDP politicians.
It was learned that the suspect, who had been detained by the anti-graft agency for the third week running, suddenly became a landlord in Abuja with several palatial homes in many parts of the city without explaining the sources of his income.
A top source told one of our correspondents last night that the discovery of the officer’s inexplicable wealth, led EFCC operatives to probe other officers who had held sway in the Office of the National Security Adviser, leading to the exposure of many others.
“That is what prompted our office to formally request the Defence Headquarters to release some serving and retired officers, whose names we have provided in connection with the arms cash,” a source said last night.
EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest of the said top military officer but declined to give further details of those to be picked up by the agency for further investigation.
But a source at the Defence Headquarters said it would be willing to release any officer who is implicated in the arms scandal as a demonstration of its zero tolerance for corruption.
It was gathered that the new set of suspects, including retired and serving military personnel, might be affected this week by the EFCC.
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