The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday quizzed the former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Hassan Adamu, for hours over the N450 million said to have been given to Adamawa State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to influence the outcome of last year’s presidential election.
According to the EFCC operatives, Adamu’s name appeared as a co-signatory to the collection of the state’s share from officials of Fidelity Bank, but he denied any knowledge of how the money was eventually shared, saying it was done at Government House, Yola.
Vanguard reports that a team of investigators handling the campaign slush fund interrogated the elder statesman who arrived EFCC’s Zonal Office in Gombe around 9.30 am, and was grilled for several hours before he was allowed to return home.
Adamu was abroad when his name appeared as co-signatory to the collection of the share of Adamawa State from Fidelity bank. He admitted his involvement at that level but said the money was taken to Government House in a bullion van by the officials of the bank.
Adamu added that the Chief of Staff to the Acting Governor, Mr. James Ngilari, Alhaji Hamman, and Accountant to Government House, Mrs. Aisha Waziri, counted the money and confirmed the figure. According to him, the duo became custodians of the fund, based on the directive of their boss, the governor.
Meanwhile, Ngilari, who also was at the commission’s office, denied authorizing his former aides to take custody of the fund. At the time of this report, a detention order had been signed and Premium Times reports that he was eventually detained.
According to online newsportal, Mr. Ngillari is being detained at the Gombe zonal office of the EFCC.
His detention followed information provided by a former Nigerian ambassafor to the U.S., Hassan Adamu, who told the EFCC that when the chairman of PDP in Adamawa state, Joel Madaki, and himself took custody of the money from Fidelity Bank, it was taken to the government House in bullion vans by officials of the bank.
Mr. Adamu also told investigators that the chief of staff to Mr. Ngilari, Alhaji Hamman, and the accountant to the government house, Aisha Waziri, counted the money and confirmed the figure.
“The duo became custodians of the fund based on the directive of their boss, the governor,” he said.
Mr. Adamu also said he left after the government officials took custody of the fund and did not know how the money was shared, and did not personally benefit from it.
An official of the EFCC informed PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Ngilari denied authorizing his former aides to take custody of the fund.
He also said “a detention order had been signed and most likely, he would spend the night in EFCC custody”.
