There is apprehension within the top hierarchy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the team deployed to support the Special Investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the activities of the apex bank and related entities commences intelligence findings.
Recall that the president had appointed Jim Obazee as a Special Investigator to probe the activities of the CBN and other related entities.
Tinubu, in the letter dated July 28, said the appointment of Obazee, was based on the fundamental objective outlined in Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution and was in furtherance of his administration’s anti-corruption fight.
Following his appointment, the Special Investigator in a letter dated August 18 wrote to the Inspector General of Police requesting for the deployment of four senior officers to his office to facilitate the smooth take-off and execution of his assignment.
In response, the IGP conveyed approval in a letter dated September 6 and signed on his behalf by CP Abaniwonda S. Olufemi. The letter titled, ‘Deployment of Police Personnel’ with reference numberTH:5361/FS/FHQ/ABJ/T.5/428, listed the deployed officers as DCP Eloho Edwin Okpoziakpo; CSP Celestine Odo; CSP Segun Aderoju and DSP Tijani A. Bako.
The team, which is headed by DCP Eloho Edwin Okpoziakpo, is already sending jitters down the spines of the top management staff of the CBN and NIRSAL, as the team has commenced its preliminary intelligence.
Among other intelligence DCP Eloho and his team are said to have developed is that on NIRSAL and the Anchor Borrowers Programme, which have over the years been at the centre of investigations.
It would be recounted that recently, President Tinubu recently gave a marching order that all funds allocated to these agricultural programmes be recovered.
It was further gathered that the investigators are also set to unravel how the Anchor Borrowers Funds were being kept as fixed deposits by parties close to the embattled CBN governor.
An insider said some of the individuals involved in the fixed deposits (names withheld) are currently in panic mode, including an aide of the ex-CBN governor who is said to have operated a total of 61 bank accounts that included 44 fixed deposit accounts and 2 treasury bills accounts.
Apart from investigating the N5.6 billion wheat project scandal in Kano and Jigawa states, a source confided in Daily Trust that the investigators would also probe the alleged allocation of about 600,000 monthly for the upkeep of the former MD’s dogs.
