$2bn Arms Deal: Okonjo-Iweala, CBN officials to be summoned by EFCC

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Former Nigeria minister of finance

LAGOS The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has shown some signs that it may summon former finance minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala soon for questioning over allegations that she is in the know of how the $2bn meant for acquisition of arms meant to battle dreaded Islamist sect, Boko Haram was spent, Vanguard reports.

There had been exchange of hot words between the former coordinating minister of the economy and Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state over allegations made by the latter that the former minister facilitated looting of funds by officials of the past administration.

Also, a letter written by the former minister to the immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan to transfer a huge amount of money from the loot recovered from late General Sani Abacha to the former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki was recently made public.

Following these revelations, the former minister may be summoned by the EFCC, which is said to have stumbled on fresh evidence that senior officials of the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria were actively involved in the transfer of funds to the suspects.

EFCC operatives are set to summon the former minister and some top officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to shed more light on what they know about the arms budget said to have been diverted by bigwigs of one of the political parties, Vanguard reported.

It was gathered that EFCC’s decision to summon the former minister and the apex bank officials followed the discoveries made that the bank played an active role in sending huge sums of money to persons and institutions at home and abroad without paying attention to due process.