EFCC To Prosecute Babachir Lawal

Reports suggest that the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) has resolved to prosecute former secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.

This is as the EFCC submitted a report of its investigation into
allegations of fraud against the former secretary to the Attorney
General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami,
SAN, by Acting Chairman of the anti-graft commission, Ibrahim
Magu.

Mr. Babachir had been accused of looting the funds of the
Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE) through several
front companies.

The former secretary had however denied all the allegations
against him.

According to THISDAY newspaper, the EFCC report indicted
Babachir Lawal as confirmed by sources within the Ministry of
Justice.

The report further confirmed that the former secretary had a
case to answer regarding some of the allegations before a competent
court of law.

Earlier on October 30, 2017, a committee set up by Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo to investigate Lawal on allegations of
fraud had recommended his dismissal from service.

The report had been received by Buhari after which he was
removed from office via a memo from the Presidency.

The EFCC report discovered that PINE received N16.9 billion
between November 2015 and November 2017, of which 11.6bn was spent
on contracts allocated to front companies; the contract award
process was found to have breached due process.

It was further discovered that the companies that weren’t fronts
for Lawal were forced to pay several monies as kickbacks to the
firms used by the former SGF.

The EFCC report fingered Rholavision as the main company used to
steal the funds having matched the ex-SGF’s Bank Verification
Number (BVN) to the company account; he was also found to be the
main signatory to the company account.

The report revealed further that 5% of PINE expenditure (N566
million) went to the coffers of Rholavision and another company
known as Bards Brothers.

The report recommended that Babachir Lawal be tried on charges
of breach of trust, conspiracy and stealing.