Aso
Rock Villa, the seat of the Nigerian Presidency, was, on penultimate
Sunday, thrown into a panic, following an alarm by Mr. Abba Kyari, Chief
of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, that he was about to be
arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Mr
Kyari, who has been named in a number of corruption cases, said sources,
told, Presidency officials that his residence at Defence House in Abuja
was ordered invaded by Mr. Ibrahim Magu, Acting EFCC Chairman.
The
Chief of Staff was said to have quickly notified the Director-General
of the Department of State Security (DSS), Mr. Lawan Daura, of the
impending arrest. Mr. Daura, who has been offering protection to high
profile corrupt persons, using his office, immediately deployed a
platoon of DSS officers to stop Magu from carrying out the arrest.
The
DSS officers, however, were stiffly resisted by soldiers guarding the
Presidential Villa and its environs. The DSS officers were ordered back
by the soldiers, who were said to have told them that they needed
express permission to come to the Presidential Villa. The stand-off
provoked more panic in Mr. Kyari, who believed that the arrest might
have been ordered by the President.
SaharaReporters learned
that Mr. Magu was in the Lagos office of the commission, but was
summoned by President Buhari for a briefing on Monday. On arrival for
the briefing by the President, Presidency disclosed that President
Buhari was said to have been angry that the EFCC was planning to arrest
his Chief of Staff without his knowledge. Mr. Magu was said to have told
the President he had not ordered a raid on Mr. Kyari’s residence, but
won’t disclose if there was investigation being conducted on him.
SaharaReporters had reported extensively on Mr. Kyari’s abuse of his office for huge pecuniary gains.
The
EFCC, SaharaReporters learned, has received numerous petitions against
the Chief of Staff, with the petitioners calling for his removal. The
President, however, has ignored them.
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