EXCLUSIVE: EFCC set to interrogate sacked DSS boss Daura
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is preparing to interrogate the sacked Director General of the Directorate of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, over an alleged N17bn scam, it was learned Wednesday.
Daura, who was sacked by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo following the siege to the National Assembly by DSS operatives, is being interrogated by the police.
EFCC sources reportedly said that operatives of the anti-graft agency on Tuesday evening visited the police facility at Guzape Abuja where Daura was being held preparatory to receiving him.
“It is expected that the former DSS boss will be handed [to the EFCC] over by the police for further interrogation to explain how the N17 billion traced to the headquarters of the DSS was utilized,” said one of the sources at the anti-graft agency.
The money, it was further learnt, was left behind by the Daura’s predecessor Ita Ekpeyong. It was alleged that Ekpeyong received N20 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the end of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
Ekpeyong, it was also alleged, converted N17 billion into United States of America (USA) dollars, which he left behind when he handed over to Daura.
The funds were reportedly traced by EFCC investigators as a fall out of discoveries after the $43 million linked to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) was found stashed at a private apartment inside Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos.
EFCC sources said operatives of the commission had been working on the investigation report that indicted the management of the DSS, but that the investigation was frustrated by Daura.
DSS agents, on the orders of Daura, prevented EFCC agents from arresting Ita Ekpeyong and sacked DG of NIA Ayo Oke on November 21, 2017, to prevent the investigation.
“So now is a good time to get Daura to answer questions in connection to the investigation earlier started,” sources said.
Daily Trust reports that Osinbajo met again with the new acting DG of DSS Matthew Seiyefa and the acting EFCC chairman Magu shortly after presiding over the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting yesterday.
The acting president had earlier on the day Daura was sacked met separately with Seiyefa and Magu. It is however not clear if the visits had anything to do with the impending interrogation of the sacked DSS boss.
Meanwhile, Seiyefa has formally taken over at the headquarters of the agency in Abuja.
Seiyefa held an inaugural management meeting with directors and senior officers yesterday where he promised to constitute a team that would steer the leadership of the agency.
According to a Daily Trust report, the Senate refused to confirm the appointment of Magu as substantive chairman of the EFCC based on two DSS reports sent to the lawmakers by Daura.
