DSS carts away files implicating President Tinubu, close aides from offices of anti-corruption bodies, CCB, ICPC

DSS arrests, interrogates CBN's Deputy Governor Aisha Ahmad
DSS

The Department of State Services (DSS) has been removing all incriminating files relating to President Bola Tinubu and his close aides from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)

Recall that the DSS had told the anti-corruption body Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to steer clear of political cases for now.

It was learnt on Friday that the cleaning-up exercise had been extended to other anti-corruption bodies – CCB and ICPC.

“DSS closure of EFCC Lagos office was instigated by Tinubu,” a security source told SaharaReporters.

“The DSS is currently removing all incriminating files from the Code of Conduct Bureau and ICPC relating to Tinubu and his close aides and associates.”

Tinubu was arraigned before the Code of Conduct Tribunal in September 2011 for allegedly operating foreign bank accounts, contrary to the constitution.

Tinubu was accused of operating 10 foreign accounts during his tenure as governor between 1999 and 2007 in the charges filed against him by CCB at the tribunal.

The former governor was specifically accused of violating Section 7 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap C15 LFN, 2004 as amended, by operating the said accounts, an offence punishable under Section 23(2) thereof as incorporated under paragraph 18, part 1, fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

However, the three-man panel of the tribunal later dismissed the case, saying there was no significant basis to proceed against Tinubu as the charges were “defective and shoddy.”

The tribunal held that the charges did not disclose a prima facie case and that there was no proof of evidence attached to the charge.

It also noted that the charges failed to show that the accounts were held by the accused person.

But in March 2016, Rotimi Jacobs, a senior advocate of Nigeria and the Federal Government prosecuting counsel said the CCT was misled to discharge Tinubu when he was arraigned before it in 2011.

According to Jacobs, Tinubu was freed in error.

On Sunday, June 18, 2023, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that the DSS raided the headquarters of its sister agency, EFCC on Friday night, June 16.

It was reported that the raid lasted till early Saturday morning.

The action was undertaken under the cover of the night to prevent the public from knowing about it, it was learnt.

EFCC personnel were also instructed not to mention anything concerning the raid to members of the public.

An insider had said at the time that the DSS was working in the interest of someone “very important” to President Bola Tinubu.

However, another source said it might be linked to the recent closure of the EFCC office in Ikoyi, Lagos by the DSS.

“I heard the raid and partisanship of the DSS was the reason why they raised an alarm yesterday (Saturday) that some of their disgruntled officers are planning to shame the agency and embarrass the leadership,” the source said.

Some of the investigators handling the case of former Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle were to be summoned by the DSS for interrogation, it was further learnt.

“That is actually intimidation, symptomatic of what former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami did during Ibrahim Magu’s time as EFCC chairman to get several suspects off the hook,” one of the sources had said.

It was revealed that Matawalle was being investigated by the EFCC in two separate cases.

One of them is a case involving his private company which got money from the National Security Adviser’s office without executing the contract, which was investigated under the chairmanship of Magu. The other case involves the alleged fraud committed by Matawalle while in office.

Someone close to President Bola Tinubu also informed our reporter that the president was aware of the moves being made by the former governor to stop the anti-corruption body from probing him, which included obtaining court orders to restrain the commission and other agencies from carrying out their investigations.

It must be noted that President Tinubu recently suspended the EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa from office indefinitely.

 

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