$2b arms deal: CACOL demands heavy punishment for culprits

Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of Daar Communications

Raymond Dokpesi: owner of DAAR Communications

Raymond Dokpesi, head PDP e-Membership Registration Committee
Raymond Dokpesi, head PDP e-Membership Registration Committee

Eromosele Ebhomele

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, has asked that there should be no sacred cows in the pursuit of the missing $2 billion meant for the procurement of arms under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

CACOL, through its head, Debo Adeniran, also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to disregard distractions in his bid to get to the bottom of the scandal.

A retired Army Colonel and former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, former chairman of Daar Communications Plc, Raymond Dokpesi, former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aliyu Bafarawa, a former Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Bashir Yuguda, and some Nigerians have been arrested over the scandal which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, says it is still investigating.

Adeniran quoted media reports as saying Dokpesi was invited to answer questions for allegedly receiving over N2 billion from the office of the NSA, while Alhaji Aliyu Bafarawa was brought in for receiving over N100 million from the same source.

Adeniran, who commended the panel investigating the procurement of arms deals and the EFCC on their efforts in ensuring that corrupt public officials indicted in the arms procurement deal during the past administration were revealed, arrested, quizzed and kept in custody, added: “anybody that steals money meant for national security must be brought to book, and should be punished for misleading Nigerians into internecine.

“Innocent citizens and our soldiers were killed due to poor equipment, yet some self-serving persons were busy politicising such a serious matter.”

The anti-corruption crusader wondered why it became the job of the National Security Adviser to disburse money for publicity as claimed by Chief Dokpesi “when we have Olisa Metuh, PDP’s Director of Publicity (during the campaign), and even the then Minister of Information.

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“The EFCC should ensure that proper investigation is carried out, ensuring that all cases go through due judicial process and if the suspects are found culpable they should be prosecuted and equally allowed to face the full penalty; because no corruption culprit should be allowed to go unpunished.

“They should be used as an example for others who may want to indulge in similar act.

“Corruption is sure the only reason our blessed country is not moving forward.

“Nigerians should, despite our political differences, admit that at least Buhari is starting somewhere.

“Corruption has been so much embedded in our collective psyche that any person who has the best of intentions at giving it a kick is perceived as a nutter, bent on ‘wasting our precious time’.

“We must know that it takes bravery and courage to step on toes of the powerful and the untouchables.”

Adeniran appealed to Buhari to concentrate on pursuing his anti-corruption crusade with all his vigor and ensuring that the thieves of our common patrimony are exposed and adequately punished.

“We just want to hope that at the end of the arrest and questioning, true justice is served to all the principal actors of this absurd drama,” Adeniran said.

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