₦airaland Forum

•EFCC grills ex-Permanent Secretary over looting of N27b, watch-lists insurance firm boss

Erstwhile Chief of Staff to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Brig. Gen. Jones Oladehinde Arogbofa (rted), would have probably stayed out of trouble today with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but for a rather strange gift, The Nation can now reveal.

Some public officers dipped their hands into the national purse and stole N27, 188,232,208.20 and then proceeded to purchase a N585million house which they presented to him as a gift.

The money was the benefits of deceased staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
The deal has now blown into the open with the EFCC taking Arogbofa into custody.
He was subsequently quizzed following which he agreed to refund about N150million of the terminal benefits which was traced to the property purchased for him.

It was learnt that the anti-graft agency has also grilled a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power who played a role in the diversion of the cash.
More heads may roll in government on the diversion of the funds.
Informed sources said those who looted the dead workers benefits decided to involve top government officials in the deal to cover up their tracks.
About 10 of such officials are currently under surveillance.
The coordinators of the deal were said to have paid cash to or buy expensive gifts for the affected officials.
One of the source said: “The perpetrators of the fraud pretended they were doing Arogbofa a favour by virtue of his closeness to ex-President Jonathan. They told him that they had a gift for him which turned out to be the N585million house.
“Having trusted those who gave him the gift, the ex-Chief of Staff did not either ask for the source of funds for the property or how much it cost.
“It was at the EFCC that Arogbofa got to know that the property was bought from the looted the N27, 188,232,208.20 benefits of the deceased staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
“When he met a former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Power, who played some roles in the diversion of funds, and others, they started apologizing for roping him in.
“But it was too late for the former Chief of Staff and all those implicated in the dirty deals. The long arm of the law does not accommodate ignorance.
Responding to a question, the source added: “We have interrogated the ex-Permanent Secretary but investigation is still ongoing on his roles in the diversion of the funds. This is why we will not disclose his identity to prevent a cover up by other accomplices.
“Preliminary findings pointed to him as one of the arrowheads of the fraudulent diversion of the N27.18billion.
“We have already watch-listed a top official of Bestworth Insurance Brokers Limited that was used by the suspects under probe. This means, INTERPOL or any other international organisation can arrest him in any part of the world.”
The source said Arogbofa has agreed to refund N150million traced to the property purchased for him.
“In fact, he has made partial payment to the EFCC and he promised to bring the balance next week.”
The EFCC had frozen N6, 811, 846,443.05 in the accounts of some companies belonging to Mr. Roberts Azibaola, a cousin to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and Bestworth Insurance Brokers Limited in its ongoing probe.
The frozen cash was part of the N27, 188,232,208.20 benefits of the deceased staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), which were diverted.
Those under probe are Arogbofa; Dikki; Kebna Studio and Communication Limited; a former Accountant-General of the Federation, Otunla Dapo; the Managing Director of Kakatar Group, Azibaola Roberts; Director of Funds in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mohammed K. Dikwa,; Innovative Alternative Limited and a top official of Bestworth Insurance Brokers Limited, who was said to be on the run as at press time.


The EFCC said sometime in 2014, the above named “conspired amongst themselves and used Bestworth Insurance Brokers Ltd to divert N27,188,232,208.20 from the Federal Government of Nigeria through the BPE.

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Barely 24 hours after the Acting Inspector
General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, accused his
predecessor, IGP, Solomon Arase (rtd), of
moving away 24 Police vehicles including the
official IGP Staff Car, which is armoured plated
and bullet proof, and the spare staff car, both
of which are BMW’s have been found.
It was gathered that both cars were sent to an
auto repair shop for total and comprehensive
repairs for use of the next IGP.
The cars were sent to Auto Computers located
in the Jabi district of Abuja and that the spare
BMW car has been completed and repainted.
The spare staff car was said to have been
having engine problems for the last five years
before the last administration sent it for
repairs.
A source at Auto Computer said that the spare
car was delivered to the Police headquarters on
Sunday afternoon after completion of repairs
and that officials of the company would visit
the Acting IGP to demand for payment of the
job done.
For the armoured plated Staff Car, it was
gathered that because of the high technology
embedded in the car, the company will need
more time to fix the identified problems of the
car as some of the needed parts will be
imported.
The source pointed out that nobody
approached Auto Computer to ask about the
whereabouts of the cars, and that since it was
the police that brought them, they (company)
just went about their repairs.
When sought to find out if the proper
procedure of ascertaining location of the cars
were followed, it was discovered that the
Works Department and the Force Transport
Department that would have been approached
for explanations were not approached.
Rather, the IGP secretariat comprising of newly
posted officers, were said to have written the
former IGP demanding the whereabouts of the
staff cars and other 22 vehicles, some the
former IGP was said to have interpreted as a
slight on his person.
Further investigation in other relevant
departments regarding the whereabouts of
other vehicles showed that the vehicles were
intact and that while some were deployed for
operations, the Police had records of the
location of others.
Recall that when news of the alleged missing 24
vehicles made the rounds on Sunday, the
former IGP, responded to questions saying the
allegations were the handiwork of mischief
makers bent on trying to tarnish his integrity.
He wondered what he would be doing with 24
Police operational vehicles when he was not
operating a car mart.

Dino Melaye, the senator of the ruling All
Progressives Congress representing Kogi West,
has confirmed his reported clash with Oluremi
Tinubu, the senator representing Lagos central,
during senate’s closed-door session on Tuesday.
Mr. Melaye, however, denied using some
words reported by the media.
Senators at the session had told PREMIUM
TIMES on Wednesday that Mr. Melaye verbally
assaulted Mrs. Tinubu.
One source said quoted Mr. Melaye as saying,
“Look this is not Bourdillon (referring to the
famous Lagos residence of Mrs. Tinubu’s
politician husband). I will beat you up, …..
impregnate you and nothing will happen.”
But addressing a press conference Thursday,
Mr. Melaye said he never spoke about
impregnating Mrs. Tinubu, whom he said had
reached menopause.
He said he did not use “insolent, abusive,
degrading and mannerless language against any
Senator”.
“How could I have said I would beat and
impregnate her at the same time?” Mr. Melaye
asked.
Mr. Melaye however admitted using harsh
words, but did not say what they were.
He said he reacted furiously because he was
provoked.
“I did it because I am not a coward,” said Mr.
Melaye, a former member of the House of
Representatives, who frequently demonstrated
unruly conduct during house sittings.
Giving details of Tuesday’s fight, our sources
said trouble started when Mr. Melaye urged
the Senate to descend heavily on members
who had offered to serve as prosecution
witnesses in the ongoing forgery case against
Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy,
Ike Ekweremadu.
The Kogi senator is said to have accused the
senators of being used by the presidency to
destabilise the Senate and warned them to be
ready to face the consequences of their action.
“You should go and tell those who sent you that
nobody, I said nobody, no matter who he is,
can ever control this Senate,” Mr. Melaye was
quoted as saying as he pointed at the affected
senators, his face contorted in rage.
Our sources said Mrs. Tinubu, wife of former
Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu, later addressed
the senate, saying “I’m just wondering why
whenever Senator Dino speaks in this chamber,
he is always threatening people and behaving
childishly and at times like a thug.
“I think he needs to know that every senator
here represents their constituencies. And that
there is no need to threaten anyone.
“We are seeking and working towards
reconciliation, yet you are busy issuing threats.”
Apparently infuriated by the remarks, Mr.
Melaye jumped from his seat and charged
towards his Lagos counterpart.
“Look this is not Bourdillon (referring to the
famous Lagos residence of Mrs. Tinubu’s
politician husband). I will beat you up, …..
impregnate you and nothing will happen,” Mr.
Melaye bawled.
Witnesses said as Mr. Melaye charged towards
the Lagos senator, other senators, especially
those from the South-West geopolitical zone,
waded in and shielded Mrs. Tinubu from attack,
and then calmed her down.
A few other senators also prevailed on Mr.
Melaye to take it easy and let peace reign,
sources said.

The 2nd respondent (Talabi) did not deny the allegation that he presented a fake WAEC and Ordinary National Diploma results from the Yaba Polytechnic, Lagos.

Niwdog:
oga itk what about the circumstances surrounding the appointment of inec chairman

Niwdog:
Buhari the man with the northern tribal mark on his forehead

SeverusSnape:
North again!, It was expected, Buhari is doing a great job of segregating the south.

Anyways, "Northerners are the most qualified and sincere set of people in Nigeria" according to Nairaland resident Zombies