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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly set up a group of four detectives to probe the activities of the immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Reports have it that the four-man committee was led by a Superintendent of Police, who was seconded to the commission.
Investigations revealed that the other three members of the committee were pioneer civilian operatives of the commission with high capacity for investigation.
According to report by Punch on Sunday, “the ongoing probe of the immediate-past administration by President Muhammadu Buhari was to beam its searchlight on the alleged purchase of three mobile stages, costing $6.9m, by former President Goodluck Jonathan and two of his officials”
According to a document, which was obtained from the Presidency on Saturday, the deal, which is now a subject of investigation, was allegedly carried out by Jonathan; his Chief Security Officer, Mr. Gordon Obuah; and Alison-Madueke.
The fund was said to have been withdrawn from one of the numerous accounts of the NNPC.
The $6.9m (about N1.37bn) was said to have been withdrawn for the purpose of buying three pieces of 40-feet mobile stages for use by Jonathan during the campaign.
Alison-Madueke had also previously been accused of squandering million of dollars of public funds to charter private jets, as well as spending $300,000 on an average international trip.
When Obuah’s lawyer, Mr. Andrew Tsekiri, was contacted, he said the allegation was false and challenged the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to produce evidence instead of putting him on trial in the media.
He was quoted as saying: “Let me tell you, nothing like that exists. Obuah did not make demand for that money for any stage. Let them show to Nigerians evidence that he took the money. When Obuah was in their (DSS) detention, they investigated this particular matter and found out that it was false.
“He was confronted with the allegation. Mr. Obuah told them that he knew nothing about it, and they found that the allegation was false. They released him, why are they bringing it up again?”
He added: “They should show how Diezani authorised the payment of the money and how it left Citibank to Zenith Bank, to Access Bank to Sterling Bank and they should show how it ended in Obuah’s account.”
Tsekiri said the outcome of the allegation would soon show that the Buhari Administration was not interested in governance but to frame up allegations against people.
“They are just lying against Diezani and Mr. Jonathan. That is what they are doing. Let me tell you what they want to do. They will charge Obuah to court, make all the noise about the allegation that has been published, knowing full well that the matter will not be decided in about a year or two, and by then, the public would have forgotten about it but they would have spoilt your name.”