Posted by Rotimi williams, Bamidele Adebayo and Bukola Ojeme on
SECURITY has been beefed up around the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, following threats to his life by anonymous telephone callers.
SECURITY has been beefed up around the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, following threats to his life by anonymous telephone callers.
Investigations by Sunday Punch revealed that the threats became pronounced recently owing to high profile cases being handled by the commission.
A similar security cover has been extended to members of his family to stave off attacks from hoodlums.
Apart from the series of anonymous calls, he was said to have received some strongly worded letters warning him to stop taking further action on some of the cases in his own interest.
Sources said he has dropped virtually all his former telephone lines and replaced them with new ones, while some staff of the EFCC had been redeployed as part the new security measures around him.
Some of the workers were said to be under security watch for fear that they could easily give in to the influence of external forces.
The callers and writers of the letters claimed that he was no longer safe because of the way he was handling some sensational cases involving high profile people.
Some of the cases being handled by the commission included that of the Managing Director of the Bank of the North, Alhaji Mohammed Bulama, who had been charged before a Federal High Court over alleged breach of financial regulations.
He was granted bail on March 5, 2004 by Justice Dan Abutu. Balama was accused of misappropriating N700 million.
EFCC, in conjunction with the London Metropolitan Police, had also investigated Governor Joshua Dariye of Plateau State on alleged money laundering matters and corruption. But the governor could not be arrested due to the immunity being enjoyed by governors.
In March, the EFCC arrested and detained former Minister of Education, Prof. Fabian Osuji, for allegedly offering N55 million bribe to some senators in order to get the budget of his ministry passed as presented by the president.
This also led to the indictment of the former Senate President, Chief Adolphus Wabara and some legislators in the National Assembly over the matter.
They have since been arraigned in court.
A socialite and legal practitioner, Chief Fred Ajudua, had also been arrested and charged to court over cases of Advance Fee Fraud, also known as 419. He has since been remanded in prison custody.
A former member of the House of Representatives, Chief Morris Ibekwe was also charged over similar allegations. He died in detention in March, last year. He was arrested May 27, 2003.
EFCC, which has become the strongest tool of this administration's war against corruption, is also handling the case against the former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun.
He, too, has been arraigned on a 70-count charge of corrupt enrichment to the tune of close to N13 billion.
The sensation, which has greeted Balogun's travail, peaked when he was taken to court in handcuffs.
On March 29, the commission had arrested the former IG, who was removed from office last February after an EFCC investigation had initially traced over N1 billion to his accounts.
Chief Emmanuel Nwude, Mrs. Amaka Anajemba, and Nzeribe Okoli, were also arrested over an alleged involvement in 242 million dollars advanced fee fraud allegedly perpetrated against a Brazillian Bank.
Mr. Alumile Adedeji a.k.a. Ade Bendel, is also being tried over EFCC investigated 419 matters. Halliburton, a US oil service company, received the dose of action by EFCC over an allegation that, it was involved in a 180 million dollars bribery scandal in a gas complex project.
Vaswani Brothers Sumil, Maresh and Haresh, the British Indian businessmen, who own Honda Place and other companies in Nigeria were deported by EFCC over allegations of economic sabotage.
Because the commission has had its hands full in fighting these battles, the operatives could really not be pine the relentless threats to the chairman's life to any particular quarters; hence, they have to take extra-security measures to stave off possible attacks.
The development reportedly led to the changes carried out in his security team.
Some of the commission's staff suspected of divided loyalty have also been reportedly redeployed.
Lately, Ribadu has been keeping away from most public functions, especially social engagements, recently, based on security advice.
Though, he often received invitations to attend social functions from friends and well wishers, but he soldom attended, under the excuse that he was busy.
It was learnt at the initial stage that Ribadu did not take the security threats on his life seriously until a couple of weeks ago when the reality dawned on him.
Sunday Punch learnt that the EFCC Chairman on the fateful day was playing host to a European diplomat in one of the notable restaurants in the nation's capital, in the evening, when a strange call came in.
It was learnt that he decided to go outside to get a clearer reception, but was surprised when a strange vehicle moved in, while two hefty men attempted to disembark from the car, a move that was highly suspicious.
Ribadu's security details, who had lurked around, saw them and quickly bundled the EFCC's boss away from the scene.
They reportedly rushed him back into the venue of the meeting before they cordoned off the area.
Sunday Punch learnt that the strange men, who seemed to be surprised at the swift move of the security agents, left the area in a hurry.
Sunday Punch gathered that a similar incident happened to the EFCC chairman, sometime last month during one of his visits to Lagos.
Details of the other incident were, however, not given.
Following the incident, the EFCC Chairman reportedly stopped disclosing his itinery to the staff of the commission, especially on official engagements, which most times made him to shuttle between Lagos and Abuja, the administrative and operational offices of the commission.
Sources hinted that the commission had also carried out at least three major reviews of its operations.
These included the directive that only limited staff should have access to official correspondences, while non operational staff were also directed to stop attending to visitors who came to see the EFCC chairman.
This was said to have been considered as an avenue where enemies of the commissions could cash in to get at the EFCC chairman.
The commission also issued a circular directing the non-staff of the EFCC's Public Relations Department from dealing with journalists.
A source said the action was necessary because of fears that some staff could be used to pass negative information about Ribadu or the commission to the media, going by the recent happenings in the commission.
It was learnt that a few weeks ago, a vital document got missing from the office of the EFCC Chairman, but it was later found after some days of intensive search.
Most of the staff were frisked during the search for the document.
Sunday Punch gathered that a staff of the commission was found wanting in respect of the missing document.
It was learnt that the government had increased Ribadu's convoy of cars from two to three and had changed his official car twice within a space of two months.
Lately, a back up vehicle, a black jeep with reinforced armed men, has been added to the security arrangement.
Ribadu, early in the week, led a team out of the country in furtherance of the investigations concerning one of its suspects, but his movement was known only to The Presidency, and a few other highly placed citizens.
A top official of the commission, in Abuja, who craved anonymity, confirmed to Sunday Punch that the commission's chairman had been under special security arrangement over fears for his life.
'It is true that he received strange calls. We did not consider them seriously until some strange happenings, which indicated that we must provide the chairman adequate security.
'The SSS and the police are also assisting in this respect. The security arrangement is round the clock," he said.
The Head of the commission's Media and Publicity Department, Mr. Osita Nwajah, however, told Sunday Punch in a telephone interview that he did not want to comment on the issue for now.
'I do not want to comment on threats to the life of the chairman for now. We shall comment at the appropriate time," he said.
Sunday PUNCH April 17, 2005