The Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday night arrested a former military
governor of Kaduna State and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress,
Lawal Jafaru Isa.
Mr. Isa is
the first chieftain of the APC arrested by the EFCC since the beginning of a
sweeping probe into the alleged diversion of $2.1 billion meant for arms
purchase by officials of the immediate-past administration.
Mr. Isa,
Military Administrator of Kaduna State from December 1993 to August 1996 during
the military regime of General Sani Abacha and one-time governorship candidate
of the defunct CPC in Kano State, is a close friend of the embattled former
National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
Mr. Isa,
also a close political associate of President Muhammadu Buhari, was arrested at
his Abuja residence located at Ajayi Crowther Street, Asokoro.
A witness report that operatives of the anti-graft commission invaded his
residence around 9pm, and then whisked him away a few minutes later.
It was also reported that Mr.
Isa, a retired brigadier general, was invited last week to appear before the
commission on Wednesday (yesterday) to clear the air on “some questionable
receipts” from the former NSA.
Investigators believe the retired
soldier received over N100million from Mr. Dasuki.
Rather than
honouring the invitation, sources said, Mr. Isa wrote a letter to the EFCC
through his lawyer, seeking a postponement of his appearance date on the
grounds of death of a relative.
Apparently
dissatisfied with his excuse, the EFCC however arrested him to clarify the
“questionable receipts”.
The
spokesperson of the EFCC, Wilson Ujuwaren, could not be reached Thursday
morning for comments on the arrest.
But a top
official of the commission confirmed the development.
”He has been
wasting our time, and we just have to pick him up for our investigation to
continue,” the official said.


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