The last may not have been heard of the $2.1 billion arms scandal rocking the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared a former gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, wanted.
The ex-Deputy Governor of Osun State is wanted in connection with the sum of N700 million, which he allegedly received from the ONSA. But, Omisore faulted the EFCC for declaring him wanted, stating that the anti-graft agency is out to tarnish his image. A former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), is being prosecuted by the antigraft agency, for allegedly misapplying the $2.1 billion said to have been originally earmarked for the procurement of arms, to prosecute the counter-terrorism war in the North-East.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said Omisore is wanted “in connection with a case of receiving and misappropriating the sum of over N700 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser, between June and November, 2014.”
Uwujaren disclosed that Omisore has remained elusive since April 7, when an invitation letter from the commission, was sent to him, “to come and make clarification on the ongoing investigation.” Against the backdrop of the invitation, the PDP stalwart approached the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights. Consequently, Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf had ordered that Omisore “should only be arrested through a due and legal process.”
The EFCC is said to have obtained a warrant to effect the arrest of the politician. Meanwhile, Omisore has stated that the EFCC was playing out a script of persecuting and harassing perceived opposition groups in the country. In a statement made available to New Telegraph, Omisore said: “To be sure, there is no basis for the EFCC so-called statement. Only on Tuesday, May 24, we appeared in court with the EFCC asking for the permission of the court for an extension of time in the preliminary objection to a suit filed against me.
“The Managing Director of Firmex Gill, which the EFCC joined in their case, indemnified me from the company’s contracts and any such obligations. “In other words, there is nothing relating to me in the company’s contract deal with the Office of the NSA. The company has even sued the ONSA for its inability to pay the balance of the contract so awarded to it. “Therefore, I am not aware of any issue relating to a contract sum of N700 million.
There was no issue of N700 million anywhere. The relationship between the company and ONSA is civil and contractual, which has nothing to do with me. Besides, so long as their business transactions are legitimate and since I am not directly managing the company, how am I to know who and who they do business with?”
The former PDP governorship candidate said EFCC should come out with facts if there are issues against him. “If the organisation and its leadership think they have any case against me, they should come to court with their facts.
This act of blackmail and deliberate tarnishing the image of perceived political enemies won’t help the image of the EFCC and it won’t get it result.
“How can you declare someone you were in court with at 9a.m. today wanted the same day, a few hours afterwards? I am appealing to all human rights and civil society organisations to caution EFCC from damaging my reputation further. If they have facts, I challenge them to bring them to court and not resort to blackmail, intimidation and victimisation,” he said.
President Muhammadu Buhari had, in August 2015, inaugurated a 13-man panel, to probe allegations of “non-adherence to correct equipment procurement procedures and the exclusion of relevant logistics branches from arms procurement under past administrations, which, very often resulted in the acquisition of sub-standard and unserviceable equipment.” The investigation covers procurements between 2007 and 2015.
The Presidency stated that the procurement processes were arbitrarily carried out and generally characterised by irregularities and fraud. Serving and retired military officers and companies have been indicted in the arms probe.
Apart from Dasuki, other former public office holders under the Goodluck Jonathan administration that are either under investigation or standing trial, are: a former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa; ex- PDP national chairman, Dr. Haliru Bello Mohammed; a former Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, and former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh.
A former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd), and an ex-Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal M.D Umar, are also facing trial in connection with the arms procurement deal.