After being arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, December 2, 2015, former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki has listed some of his accomplice.
According to a source who spoke with The nation, the ex-NSA made some “mind-boggling” revelations on the arms contracts on Tuesday after being arrested.
A report by the National Task Force on Illegal Importation of Firearms (NATFORCE) on December 2, that Dasuki aided Boko Haram in the importation of illegal arms and other ammunition.
And in his confession during the interrogation by the EFCC, a source said: “When Dasuki was brought in, he initially refused to write any statement, alleging that he had been subjected to media trial.
“I think the ex-NSA decided not to open up based on the advice of his lawyers that he should leave everything for the open court.
“The EFCC operatives, however, obliged Dasuki a copy of the statement by a former Director of Finance in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Shaibu Salisu in which the latter made some implicating statements.
“Dasuki, who was shocked by Salisu’s confessions, repeatedly asked: ‘You mean Salisu wrote all these! You mean he said these! Give me a pen and paper’.
“Thereafter, Dasuki decided to open a can of worms. He gave a long list of PDP chieftains who collected money from the Office of the NSA.
“He mentioned the names of a former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, ex-governors and ex-ministers and many others.
“As I am talking to you, Dasuki is still writing his statement. The disclosures of the ex-Director of Finance in ONSA have assisted greatly in getting to the bottom of the armsgate.
“So, the investigation is still on. We will certainly arrest more suspects soon.”
The Nation also reports that EFCC may extend its probe to the seizure of $9million cash by South Africa and bring everyone involved for questioning as regards the botched deal.
Also, former Sokoto state governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; AIT Chairman Raymond Dokpesi and former minister Bashir Yuguda, who have also been linked to the arms deal, were said to be perfecting their bail conditions as at yesterday.
An EFCC source also revealed that the anti-graft agency was planning to arraign some of the suspects in court to enable them have the over 22 suspects being interrogated in custody as the agency is said to be mindful of a situation in which the high-profile suspects will rush to court to in search of enforcement of their fundamental rights and truncate the investigation.
“Our investigators have isolated these areas of probe: Were the funds budgeted for? If not, what informed extra-budgetary expenses? How much was actually voted for arms procurement? How were the funds sourced? Who or which agency awarded all the contracts?
“Who were the contractors? Was there any evidence of delivery of equipment? What will make any Minister to run to ONSA for funds?
“These are the areas our detectives have been mandated to look at,” the source informed.
“Some Bureau de Change operators were accomplices of many of these suspects in custody. We are tracking every transaction.
“On daily basis, we will keep on inviting more suspects because the syndicate has a complex networking,” the source added.
Dokpesi on his part, has since explained that the N2.1 billion he collected from the former NSA was for pre-election campaign.
