Babachir still under investigation, says EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says a former
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, is
still under investigation.

The spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said this during an
interview with our correspondent on Friday.

Responding to a question on when the former SGF would be charged
to court, he said, “All I can say is that investigations are still
ongoing.”

There were reports, particularly on the social media recently,
that the EFCC was no longer taking up Babachir’s case and that he
was recently spotted at the colloquium organised by the National
Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in
Lagos.

Babachir, who was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari last
year, had been arrested by the anti-graft agency in January but was
released three days later after his passport was seized.

Among several other allegations, the former SGF awarded N223m
consultancy contract for the removal of invasive plant species in
Komadugu, Yobe Water Channels to his firm, Rholavision Engineering
Limited.

He allegedly contravened the provision of Part 1 of the Fifth
Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended); the Public
Procurement Act 2007; and breached the oath of office as the
SGF.

Two separate committees headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo
and the Senate Ad hoc Committee had last year recommended the
prosecution of all those involved in the alleged contract scam in
the Presidential Initiative in the North-East headed by
Babchir.

Apart from allegedly awarding a contract to his company, the
former SGF also reportedly received kickbacks from Presidential
Initiative on the North East’s contractors, according to a Senate
report.

Between March 29, 2016, and April 20, 2016, Josmon Technologies
Limited allegedly transferred N317m to Rholavision after receiving
two “grass-cutting” contracts worth N530.6m for the removal of
invasive plant species in Yobe State, according to the Senate
report.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says a former
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, is
still under investigation.

The spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said this during an
interview with our correspondent on Friday.

Responding to a question on when the former SGF would be charged
to court, he said, “All I can say is that investigations are still
ongoing.”

There were reports, particularly on the social media recently,
that the EFCC was no longer taking up Babachir’s case and that he
was recently spotted at the colloquium organised by the National
Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in
Lagos.

Babachir, who was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari last
year, had been arrested by the anti-graft agency in January but was
released three days later after his passport was seized.

Among several other allegations, the former SGF awarded N223m
consultancy contract for the removal of invasive plant species in
Komadugu, Yobe Water Channels to his firm, Rholavision Engineering
Limited.

He allegedly contravened the provision of Part 1 of the Fifth
Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended); the Public
Procurement Act 2007; and breached the oath of office as the
SGF.

Two separate committees headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo
and the Senate Ad hoc Committee had last year recommended the
prosecution of all those involved in the alleged contract scam in
the Presidential Initiative in the North-East headed by
Babchir.

Apart from allegedly awarding a contract to his company, the
former SGF also reportedly received kickbacks from Presidential
Initiative on the North East’s contractors, according to a Senate
report.

Between March 29, 2016, and April 20, 2016, Josmon Technologies
Limited allegedly transferred N317m to Rholavision after receiving
two “grass-cutting” contracts worth N530.6m for the removal of
invasive plant species in Yobe State, according to the Senate
report.