EFCC arrests Babachir Lawal, former SGF

Nigeria’s former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, has been arrested by the EFCC for alleged fraud.

Mr Samin Amaddin, Acting Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, confirmed that Babachir who was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari, was being investigated for alleged N223 million fraud.

He said on Wednesday that the former SGF was cooperating with investigators and had made useful statements.

Lawal arrived at the Abuja office of the EFCC at 11:00 am yesterday, after which he was detained.

Amaddin said Lawal’s interview with the anti-corruption agency will continue today.

According to our correspondent, Lawal’s travails began on December 14, 2016, when the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on humanitarian crisis in the North East’ indicted him of fraud.

He was implicated in a grass-cutting contract awarded to his company, for the clearing of “invasive plant species” in Yobe State, through the Presidential Initiative on Northeast (PINE).

Lawal’s crime, according to the ad-hoc committee, included his alleged spending of N570 million to cut grass.

President Muhammadu Buhari studied the report of the panel headed by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, which investigated the allegations.

The President accepted the recommendation of the panel to terminate the appointment of Mr Lawal, and has appointed Mr Boss Mustapha as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

After sacking him in October, Buhari said he expected anti-graft agencies to go after him.

Mr Boss Gida Mustapha who replaced Lawal is a lawyer, management consultant, politician, businessman and boardroom guru of considerable repute.

He was the former Managing Director/CEO of the National Inland waterways Authority (NIWA).

He was born in Adamawa and attended Hong Secondary School, in Hong Adamawa and North East College of Arts and Sciences Maiduguri Borno state, crowning it with WASC and HSC in 1976.