By JUMI RHODES
The ongoing investigation of the embezzled $2.1billion arms purchase fund by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will go down in the history of Nigeria as one of the biggest scandals owing to those who have been named. The man in the centre is Nigeria’s former national security adviser,Col. Sambo Dasuki(retd.) who was arrested late last year for allegedly misappropriating $2.1 billion meant for the procurement of equipment to fight against Boko Haram militants who have killed thousands in north-eastern Nigeria in its six-year campaign.
Dasuki has been accused of awarding phantom contracts to buy 12 helicopters, four fighter jets and ammunition. The owner of AIT, Raymond Dokpesi; former Minister of State for Finance Bashir Yuguda; PDP National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh; ex-PDP chairman Haliru Mohammed; former governor of Sokoto state, Attahiru Bafarawa and others have been quizzed on this investigation.
One man who has however remained quiet on this matter is Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki, the highly-influential 92-year-old father of Col. Sambo Dasuki. The former Sultan of Sokoto was one of the private secretaries of the former Premier of Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, and as a politician, he was one of the founding fathers of the defunct National party of Nigeria (NPN). Despite his influence in Nigeria, the Kaduna-based elder statesman has kept mum and has not granted any interview on his son’s trial. Ibrahim Dasuki was the 18th Sultan of Sokoto, but he was deposed in 1996 during the military government of late Sani Abacha.
