Arms deal: EFCC picks up Dokpesi, Bafarawa

For their alleged role in a $2 billion phantom arms contract, former chairman of Daar Communication, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, and Attahiru Bafarawa, former governor of Sokoto state, have been picked up by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Both men are accused of complicity in a financial fraud involving the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
Dokpesi was picked up in Abuja at about noon on Tuesday and accompanied to the EFCC office by his son Raymond Dokpesi Jnr., who is the current Chairman of Daar Communications.
According to a senior official at the anti-graft agency, both Dokpesi and Bafarawa received “huge sums of money for no clear reason” from the office of former national security adviser (NSA).
The Head of Media in the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, did confirm that Chief Dokpesi was arrested in connection with money disbursed from the office of the former NSA, Sambo Dasuki.
He said that there was no explanation about what the money was meant for and it was pathetic that the office of the NSA was used as “a warehouse to dish out money to people”.

Read also: End of siege as DSS arrests Dasuki

He added that very worrisome is that this hard-earned money is taken from the coffers of the country.
But in a quick reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemned the arrest of Dokpesi and other opposition elements by the APC-led Federal Government, in what it said was a move to cow and silence the opposition in the country.
The party said it has been made aware that more notable PDP leaders have similarly been listed for arrest over unproven allegations.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement said the military style of pronouncement of guilt on Chief Dokpesi before any fair hearing, betrays the fact that he is a victim of political persecution and mob trial by the APC government because of his association with the PDP.
He said, “While the PDP is not against the war against corruption, we insist that the crusade must be carried out within the limits of the law and not as a guise to persecute and torture opposition elements in the country.”

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