Enemy Within: EFCC Driver, others arrested on impersonation, fraud charges

EFCC Driver, others arrested on impersonation, fraud charges

The EFCC has arrested one of its drivers as well as other members of the syndicate he belonged to after an attempted attack on a property sealed by the commission.

        EFCC Operatives
       (Punch) 

One of the drivers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been arrested by the commission and currently faces charges bordering on criminal breach of trust, attempted theft, conspiracy and impersonation. 

The spokesperson for the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed that the driver identified as Nasiru Isa, who reportedly joined the commission almost 18 months ago, is a member of a criminal group which made attempts to break into a property sealed by the EFCC, with plans to make away with goods which are suspected to be proceeds of money laundering.

“The syndicate includes a mobile police officer, Corporal Aliyu Ismaila, Abubakar Jibrin, Abdulsalam Ado, Ibrahim Babangida, Reuben Dauda, Hassan Aliyu, Sani Yusuf and Murtala Mohammed.

“Located in the choice area of Garki, Abuja, the property is currently under investigation by the agency, and became a subject of interest, in the aftermath of findings into the N3.9 billion fraud case involving a former Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd). The property was also linked to the wife of the former CDS.”

Uwujaren further noted that investigations by EFCC operatives have revealed that not too long after the said property was sealed, some unidentified individuals moved about 12 bags believed to the contain items linked to a money laundering offence, into the property.

“On August 30, 2016 operatives of the EFCC as part of monitoring activities on the sealed property, had gone to site to execute a search. However, members of the syndicate took to their heels on sighting the operatives of the anti-graft agency. A carpenter, Yakubu Muhammad, who was hired by the syndicate was left behind and was subsequently arrested by the operatives.

“The carpenter, who has been cooperating with operatives, confessed that he was not in the know of the illicit activity, as he was only brought in by the syndicate to assist with the use of his carpentry tools to break into the property,” Uwujaren explained.

The investigations also revealed that one of the suspects who knew about the content of the bags was the brain behind the idea to steal them.

The syndicate is alleged to have found the need for security personnel among them who would help them subdue the security man at the property.

Isa was subsequently contacted, who in turn, brought in another friend of his identified as Ismaila, who came fully armed in a bid to beef up security. 

While carrying out the crime, one of the suspects, Dauda posed as senior staff with the EFCC, while another, Jibrin posed as an Intelligence Police officer with the office of the Inspector General’s office.
Unfortunately, the group met their waterloo on August 30, 2016, when they were apprehended in the act of breaking into the said property.

The suspects are to be charged to the court upon the completion of the investigations.