EFCC arrests Niger Delta Amnesty consultants

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday arrested eight persons including consultants and contractors of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, reports PREMIUM TIMES.

The eight suspects were arrested in connection with multi-billion naira contract scam allegedly perpetrated by the Kingsley Kuku-led Presidential Amnesty Office.

Mr. Kuku was a Senior Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on the Federal Government Amnesty in the Niger Delta.

Some of those arrested in connection with the scam include Kanmi Adediran, Tumo Yetunde and Collins Omokhojie.

Others are Oluboye Adedokun, Ugala Jaachinma, Olukoya Olusegun Godwin, Oyinmi-ebi Bribena and Olukayode Raimi.

A source from the commission who could not be named because he was not authorised to speak on the matter said the suspects were taken into custody in the early hours of Wednesday.

“The suspects were taken into custody early today and are still being quizzed by a team of operatives our headquarters,” said the source.

“The arrests were made in continuation of the investigation of the tenure of Kingsley Kuku as head of Amnesty office.”

Mr. Kuku has been out of the country ostensibly on medical grounds since news of the investigation broke.

Although the specific details of their infraction could not be ascertained by this newspaper, it was, however, learnt that the Amnesty office was being investigated over contract scam running into billions of naira.

It was further learnt that most of the companies that got contracts and huge mobilisation fees from the Amnesty Office failed to carry out the terms of such contracts.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that in some of the cases, over 95 percent of the contract value was paid the contractors, without anything on ground to show for the funds.

It is also being alleged that most of the contracts did not follow due process.

Meanwhile, a Kano-based group, National Security Watchdog, called for the extradition of Mr. Kuku from the United Kingdom to face charges terrorism.

In a letter signed by Yakubu Ahmed and Oladapo Ogunaike and dated November 24, the group, relying on Section 174(1) of the 1999 Constitution, urged the Attorney General of the Federation to initiate proceedings to extradite Mr. Kuku.

The group claimed there was incontrovertible evidence linking the former amnesty chief to terrorist acts and illegal stockpiling of arms.

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