In a move calculated to further deceive the Nigerian public, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is sponsoring false media reports that the agency had commenced the interrogation of numerous Nigerians who took bribes from officials of Haliburton, the US oil services conglomerate.

With many Nigerian groups and individuals questioning the inaction of the Yar’adua regime in the face of evidence that three former Nigerian leaders as well as other top officials benefited from the scandal, our sources in Abuja and Lagos indicated that the Nigerian government has decided to increase its propaganda over “Haliburtongate” by syndicating lies through the local media.

Yesterday, Saharareporters reported on the detailed scheme by Nigeria’s Attorney
General Michael Aondoakaa to reap personal benefits from some of the Nigerians named in the scandal while pretending that his office was hot on the suspects’ heels. Aondoakaa has hired Debo Adesina of The Guardian as a point man to sell the lie that the government was working towards prosecuting Nigerian bribe takers.

A number of Nigerian newspapers have carried the misleading information that Aondakaa sent a letter to the US Attorney General, Eric Holder, seeking information about Nigerian officials involved in the Haliburton bribe scandals. Some newspapers also reported that the Nigerian AGF was headed to the US to meet with Mr. Holder on the Haliburton issue. But Mr. Holder’s office has denied knowledge any such meeting.

Information from both the US Department of Justice as well as from Nigerian government sources indicated that Aondoakaa did not submit a letter dated February 17 2009. Aondoakaa’s media handlers had lavishly claimed in widely reported accounts that he wrote to the US attorney general.

An email from Laura Sweeney of the Public Affairs unit of the US Department of Justice was dismissive of Aondoakaa’s antics. It read: “I understand you had a question regarding a letter allegedly sent by the Nigerian AG to the Attorney General Holder regarding possible bribery of Nigerian officials related to the DOJ's FCPA case related to KBR. The Department would review such a letter when we receive it.”


A source in the Nigerian Ministry of Justice also told Saharareporters that Aondoakaa’s goal “is merely to make money for himself from this scandal.” He added, “Let me assure you that the ministry and the Nigerian government are not doing anything serious.”

Saharareporters also revealed that Aondoakaa’s recent visit to the US had nothing to do with the Haliburton issue. He was actually part of a delegation that attended a “trade conference” in Washington DC. Our sources said the Nigerian AGF was at the trade meetings on Monday and Tuesday and had since left the US without meeting anyone at the US Department of Justice.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday added to the drama of deception by claiming that its agents had begun interrogating “suspects” named in the scandal.

Two EFCC officials who spoke anonymously to Saharareporters said Mrs. Waziri’s press conference yesterday was packaged to give the impression that she intends to act on the Haliburton case. They said her deceptive statement was meant as a face-saving step after Saharareporters linked her to Mr. Mohammed Dikko Yusuf (MD) Yusuf, a major suspect in the bribe scandal.

The sources told Saharareporters that the agency had invited no suspects, much less interrogated or taken statements from those named in the scandal. They said emphatically that it was today that Mrs. Waziri urged some staff members to start drafting “invitation letters” to some people and those have not been done yet.

In addition, the EFCC sources confirmed our report that the EFCC had always known the names of the Nigerians who allegedly received bribes from Haliburton associates.

An Abuja-based senior advocate of Nigeria said it was significant that Mrs. Waziri refused to name any of the purportedly interrogated suspects at her press conference.

In similar light, EFCC spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, told Saharareporters that he could not name any suspects yet until the US releases to the EFCC documents that can firmly put the agency in a strong position to deal decisively with suspects. Mr. Babafemi also refused to name any one of the persons purportedly interrogated by the EFCC. “That’s because the interrogation never happened,” explained one EFCC source.


Meanwhile, an attempt to transfer two corrupt police officers out of the EFCC has met a brick wall. The officers, Umar Sanda and Mohamed Bakori, are part of the “Economic Governance Team” which is widely known in EFCC circles as the “Farida Extortion Team”. The two officers have had serious petitions and corruption allegations logged against them. In addition, agents of the State Security Service (SSS) have written several negative reports against the two rogue officers.

Last week, the police headquarters were forced to transfer both men out of the EFCC.
Umar Sanda was transferred to Zamfara State while Bakori was sent to Delta State.

Their transfer, sources told Saharareporters, was a sort of compromise after the Yar’adua regime shelved plans to remove Mrs. Waziri for her “fairly open acts of corruption,” in the words of a source in the government. The source added that Mrs. Waziri’s job was saved when former Governor James Ibori of Delta State intervened on her behalf.

Saharareporters has learned that Mrs. Waziri, fearing that the officers’ transfer could lead to further revelations about a $2 million bribe the team took on her behalf from a northern businessman, has began serious moves to ensure that they stay in the agency.