ICPC investigates military personnel, others for allegedly embezzling security funds

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, says the commission is investigating some former military and security personnel as well as a sister agency for alleged embezzlement of funds allocated to security.

He also said some cases of job racketeering in the security sector had been uncovered.

He stated this in a speech at the national policy dialogue on corruption and insecurity in Nigeria, held on Friday at the ICPC Auditorium, Abuja.

He said, “There are ongoing investigations into military contracts spending. Recently, ICPC arrested a military contractor that received over a period of less than 10 years cumulative sum of about N6 billion from the Nigerian Army in suspicious circumstances and in violation of extant legislation.

“The commission’s recovery of huge cash sums in local and foreign currencies, luxury cars, customized mobile phones, designer watches including three Rolexes as well as property documents from the premises of the contractor underscores the corruption that often attends military procurement.”

He also said, “A former head of one of the arms of the military in the twilight of his tenure deposited the sum of N4 billion from the military budget into the accounts of two companies where he is the beneficial owner and sole signatory. The proceeds were used to purchase properties in Abuja in the names of cronies and proxies. Some of the properties paid for by his service were also fraudulently converted to his use.

“ICPC’s prosecution of this high ranking officer to recover all the implicated assets was strangely and perversely frustrated by a recently retired High Court judge who decided to forfeit some of the assets to FGN and the rest left to the suspect. While the commission has filed notice of appeal, this strange development aggravates an already bad situation and escalates insecurity and impunity.

“Another case under investigation is theft of part of special intervention fund approved  for security operations by some civil servants in the line ministry who transferred about N1 billion to four shell companies.

“A special investigative team under the leadership of NSA and ICPC recovered some of the diverted assets including state of the art buildings located in Abuja and over N220 million cash. Investigation in this matter is still ongoing.”

“A clinical diagnosis of the insecurity menace in the country reveals that to effectively combat insecurity, we require the collaborative efforts of security agencies (the military, intelligence, police, customs, prisons, others), as well as law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies.”

He said the ICPC’s findings showed that public sector corruption, directly and indirectly, which enabled insecurity and sometimes complemented it.

He said, “Cases of job racketeering abound in the security sector, many of which are under investigation by the ICPC.