There is panic and apprehension within the top hierarchy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigerian Incentive Risk Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) as the team deployed to support the Special Investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the activities of the apex bank and related entities commences intelligence findings
Jim Obazee a Special Investigator in a letter dated August 18 wrote to the Inspector General of Police requesting for the deployment of four senior officers to his office to facilitate the smooth take-off and execution of his assignment.
In response, the IGP conveyed approval in a letter dated September 6 and signed on his behalf by CP Abaniwonda S. Olufemi. The letter titled, ‘Deployment of Police Personnel’ with reference numberTH:5361/FS/FHQ/ABJ/T.5/428, listed the deployed officers as DCP Eloho Edwin Okpoziakpo; CSP Celestine Odo; CSP Segun Aderoju and DSP Tijani A. Bako.
Starting preliminary intelligence by the investigator’s team headed by DCP Eloho Edwin Okpoziakpo is already sending jitters down the spines of top management staff of the CBN and the Nigerian Incentive Risk Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).
The investigators are also set to unravel how the Anchor Borrowers Funds were being kept as fixed deposits by parties close to the embattled CBN governor.
People who are currently in panic mode, including an aide of the ex-CBN governor who is said to have operated a total of 61 bank accounts that included 44 fixed deposit accounts and 2 treasury bills accounts.
Apart from investigating the N5.6 billion wheat project scandal in Kano and Jigawa states, a source said that the investigators would also probe the alleged allocation of about 600,000 monthly for the upkeep of the former MD’s dogs.
There are Destruction of files, and records at NIRSAL, in order to scuttle the ongoing investigation of NIRSAL by DCP Eloho and his team. Sources familiar with the investigation said among the destroyed office documents is a contract for the development of the ICT Policy.
“Although financial trails show payments made multiple times for the same contract, the record of this contract has disappeared from NIRSAL’s procurement department. unless the investigation team deploys ways and means of obtaining the necessary contract records and documents, they may have hitches getting into the root of the matter.” said the Aide to Ex-CBN Governor