EFCC arrests its driver, policeman for stealing from ex-Defence Chief, Badeh’s residence

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested one of its drivers, Nasiru Isa for allegedly “burgling” a sealed property belonging to former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh in Abuja.

Spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this, in a statement said Isa was part of a robbery syndicate which specialized in breaking into property sealed off by the Commission.

Uwujaren identified other members of the gang to include: a policeman, Aliyu Ismaila, Abubakar Jibrin, Abdulsalam Ado, Ibrahim Babangida, Reuben Dauda, Hassan Aliyu, Sani Yusuf and Murtala Mohammed.

According to the spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, the suspects were caught in the act of breaking into Badeh’s property.

Uwujaren said, “On August 30, 2016, operatives of the EFCC, as part of monitoring activities on the sealed property, had gone to the site to execute a search.

“However, members of the syndicate took to their heels on sighting the operatives of the anti-graft agency. A carpenter, Yakubu Muhammad, who was hired by the syndicate, was left behind and was subsequently arrested by the operatives.

“The carpenter, who has been cooperating with operatives, confessed that he was not in the know of the illicit activity, as he was only brought in by the syndicate to assist with the use of his carpentry tools to break into the property.

“Investigations revealed that one of those in the know about the goods was the brains behind the scheming to steal them. The syndicate decided they would need to subdue the security man at the property, which would mean they would need to involve security personnel in the syndicate.

“Subsequently, Isa was contacted. To further beef up the security aspect of the crime, he also contacted his friend, Ismaila, who came for the ‘operation’ fully armed. In perpetrating the crime, Dauda had posed to be a senior official of the EFCC, while Jibrin posed as an Intelligence police officer in the inspector-general’s office.

“However, on August 30, 2016, they were caught in the act of breaking into the property, having successfully overpowered the security guard at the entrance of the property.”

Badeh, who is currently facing trial at an Abuja Federal High Court for alleged diversion of funds meant for the procurement of arms has had some of his properties in Abuja sealed off by the EFCC in January 2016.