On-going investigations into the circumstances in which five soldiers on a VIP escort duty disappeared with millions of naira, has revealed a new twis
On-going investigations into the circumstances in which five soldiers on a VIP escort duty disappeared with millions of naira, has revealed a new twist into the messy scandal as a Northern governor and bureau de change operator has been linked to millions stolen by soldiers. The Defence Headquarters had earlier in the week confirmed the commencement of investigation into the circumstances surrounding the stealing of the huge sum by the fleeing soldiers on July 11.
Top military sources familiar with the findings of the probe panel investigating the incident said that confessional statements of Major General Hakeem Oladapo Otiki, the General Officer Commanding, GOC of the Nigerian Army 8 Division in Sokoto, who is at the centre of the scandal showed that the stolen money was neither his nor that of the Nigerian Army but that of some VIP friends of a Northern governor, who personally approached the GOC to help provide security escort for his guests going to Kaduna. Otiki has since been replaced by Major General J.J.Ogunlade as the GOC 8 Division.
According to one of the military sources, leader of the three-man VIP friends of the governor has been identified as Alhaji Aliyu Ado, owner of Habibulah Bureau de Change, (RC 666-411) by Hamdala Hotel, Kaduna. Though it was gathered that a military probe panel was scheduled to interrogate Alhaji Ado by Thursday, it was not clear yet whether he has been taken in for interrogation or he has deliberately gone underground.
Though media reports have speculated the amounts stolen as ranging from N400m to billions, however, findings reveal that the exact figure stolen from the VIPs by the rogue soldiers was N65million and $80,000.
A manhunt launched for the soldiers was yet to yield any success as at the time of going to press on Friday night. Top military chiefs who spoke on condition of anonymity further disclosed that the GOC also told his interrogators that he agreed to provide the security escort sought by the governor for his VIP friends because he was scheduled to travel to get arms from their armoury in Kaduna.
“And that was why he deployed an armoured truck as part of the vehicles for the journey”, one of the sources stated.
While dismissing insinuations that the millions carted away by the fleeing soldiers could have been stolen by Gen. Otiki from operations funds, the Army source also said reports that the GOC got the money from miners operating in Zamfara were far from the truth. According to the red neck military source, “Major General Otiki’s monthly running cost is N10million and has not even received it for two months now. He also couldn’t have gotten such amount from miners who operate in Zamfara. Gen. Ogunlade was the commander in charge of the troops that cover Zamfara. He also couldn’t have taken such from soldiers salaries or allowances because they are paid directly through their bank accounts.”
The probe panel may recommend Gen. Otiki for sanction “for indiscretion”, while their report on the involvement of the Northwest state governor and his bureau de change VIP friends may be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for further investigation of a possible money laundering case.
