Fresh probe uncovers another $12.9bn arms scam

A fresh probe into how money earmarked for purchase of arms by the country during the Goodluck Jonathan administration has revealed more fraud perpetrated to the tune of $12.9 billion in an alleged arms scam.

This makes the total of $15billion allegedly stolen in the name of arms buying, as $2.1 billion had earlier been uncovered.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in its latest report on investigations into how monies budgeted for arms purchase were spent by the last administration said it had frozen an account with $500million, but failed to name the owner of the said account.

It was also gathered that a wristwatch worth £600,000, jewelry in gold and diamond, as well as houses belonging to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke have also been confiscated.

A source at the commission also revealed that the $2.1billion earlier discovered is just one transaction into an account in the First Bank of Nigeria in New York.

“They moved the money into the FBN account from where they were disbursing and re-routing the cash.

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“Most of these companies were incorporated by serving military officers and these officers were the sole signatories into the accounts of these companies.

“All these suspects are not showing remorse, they think that they can go away with the fraud but we won’t allow them”, he said.

Part of the new findings included how the Trauma Centre at the National Hospital with a helipad was built with N1.8 billion.

The source continued, ”We have seized many houses belonging to Diezani and Omokore on Banana Island and other places. Also, a wristwatch of about £1.4million was seized from Omokore’s wife.

“From the former minister, we have retrieved a choice wrist watch worth £600,000 and jewelry in gold and diamond. We will soon show Nigerians all these items for them to appreciate what we have done and to learn some lessons.”

He explained that at the time the wrist watches were seized, the price tags on them.

 

 

 

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