N10bn fraud: EFCC freezes account of aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan

By Odunewu Segun

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission has frozen the bank account of a former assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamowei Dudafa, following the discovery of around N900 million suspected to be ill-gotten by the politician.

National Daily gathered that during preliminary investigations, Dudafa denied having such an amount in any of his accounts, but after investigation, the money was discovered hidden in one of the account with the aid of his account officers.

“Dudafa initially denied owning the account but when he was confronted with evidence, he had no choice but to admit. Some people, who had paid the money into the account based on Dudafa’s instructions, even came forward to say that the account indeed belonged to Dudafa.

ALSO SEE: Ex-President Jonathan’s top aide, Waripamowei Dudafa, arrested at Lagos airport

Dudafa was arrested by the EFFCC on the 18^th of April following the accusation that he gave N10bn to delegates at the presidential primary of the People’s Democratic Party. Former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, who is currently in the custody of the EFCC over arms purchase scandal, had told the EFCC that the N10bn was given to Ojogbane and Dudafa.

During his first year in office, President Muhammadu Buhari has arrested many officials of the previous government of Goodluck Jonathan. Among those arrested in connection with corruption are: Sambo Dasuki, arrested in 2015 for allegedly stealing $2 billion; Olisa Metuh, spokesman of the People’s Democratic Party in connection with the Dasuki scandal; Femi Fani-Kayode, former aviation minister;  Ibrahim Shekau, former Kano State governor for helping to distribute N950 million in the Dasukigate scandal and many others.

President Muhammadu Buhari has made the fight against corruption a key focus of his government with his minister of Information, Lai Mohammed saying that the endemic corruption costs Nigeria billions of dollars per year, adding that the country lost  N1.34 trillion in public funds between 2006 and 2013 at the hands of just 55 individuals, including government ministers and bankers.