EFCC arrests Babachir Lawal, To face Prosecution
By Tony Okechukwu
The Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested the immediate-past Secretary to the
Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal.
The former SGF, who was
picked up by operatives of the agency, is expected to be arraigned today following
a charge of conspiracy and fraud levelled against him by the anti-graft agency.
Lawal will be docked before an FCT High Court in Maitama to be presided over by
Justice Jude Okeke.
The EFCC had filed a
10-count charge bordering on conspiracy and fraud against him and Hamidu David
Lawal, Suleiman Abubakar and two companies, Rholavision Engineering Ltd and
Josmon Technologies Ltd.
In the charge filed on
January 30 by Offem Uket for the commission, Lawal was alleged to have
conspired with Hamidu, a director in Rholavision and Abubakar, a staff in the
same company, to fraudulently acquire a property and thereby committed an
offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related
Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under Section 12 of the same Act.
One of the charges accused Hamidu, Abubakar and Rholavision to
have “abet the award of contract to Rholavision Engineering Ltd for the removal
of invasive plant species and simplified irrigation to the tune of N6.4million
by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF)
through the Presidential Initiative for North East (PINE).”
Count 9 of the charge accused Hamidu to have “abet the holding
indirectly of a private interest by Engineer Babachir Lawal in the award of a
contract to Josmon Technologies Ltd for the removal of invasive plant species
and simplified irrigation by OSGF through PINE to the tune of N272.5million.”
Lawal was also accused to have fraudulently acquired a private
interest in a contract awarded to Josmon Technologies Ltd.
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