EFCC Moves Against Babachir

More trouble seems to be brewing for former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, sets up a crack team to probe the fraud allegations against the ex-SGF.

The team according to the EFCC is to examine all the details relating to the N200m contract for the cutting of grass in the North-East, which was linked to the former SGF.

The team is made up of special investigators from the anti-graft agency.

Trouble started for the ex-SGF in December 2016 after he was accused by the Senate of alleged complicity in the diversion of the North East humanitarian funds.

This followed the presentation of interim report of the Adhoc Committee on Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North East by the Chairman of the Committee, Shehu Sani.

The call for Mr. Lawal’s removal followed alleged contravention of the provisions of Public Procurement Act and the Federal Government Financial Rules and Regulations pertaining to award of contracts.

Presenting the report, Mr. Sani said that some of the contracts were awarded to companies belonging to top government officials’ cronies and family members.

He explained that the committee found out that Global Vision Engineering Limited, a company, with Mr. Lawal as Director, for instance, was awarded consultancy contract.

Despite being an IT company, the firm got a job to clear grass in Yobe at N200 million.

After months of dithering, President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday sacked Lawal alongside the Director General of the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayo Oke.