Arms probe: Ihejirika, Minimah movement restricted as EFCC set to interrogate them

The movement of former Chiefs of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. O.A. Ihejirika, Lt. Gen. KTJ Minimah and 52 others who were indicted in arms scandal has been restricted as government prepare to investigate them without delay.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu has already set up a special team that will investigate them beginning as early as Monday next week.

It was gathered that before the president made his stance on the matter public, he over a week ago referred the report to the EFCC which is already doing criminological analysis of the findings.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Thursday sanctioned further probe of the 54 serving and retired public/military officers following the recommendation of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment, headed by AVM
JON Ode, in its third interim report to the president.

Read also: Arms probe: Dambazau’s missing name sparks controversy

Meanwhile, some retired military officers and other Nigerians have criticised the list, saying that the probe should be extended to the Minister of Interior, Lt. -Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.) and the current Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.

Many are finding it difficult to understand why Dambazau and Buratai’s names were missing in the list when the chief of army staff was the Director of Military Procurement during the period the arms scandal was alleged to have been committed.

Regardless of All Progressives Congress (APC) led government’s claim that the list was not doctored, there are growing voices calling for Buratai and Dambazau to be included among the list of people to be probed if the government is not biased.

It could be recalled that Buratai is alleged to have bought $1.5m properties in Dubai with ‘stolen money,’ an allegation over which people have been calling for his resignation. More so, Dambazau, before the list of indicted persons was made public was reported to be among the indicted persons in the arms scandal.

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