Ex-naval chief Jibrin raises alarm over EFCC ‘threat’

Embattled former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin (rtd) has raised alarm over alleged threat to his life by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting him for graft.

In a letter to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, the former Naval chief alleged that plans were being made to plant incriminating evidence on his properties.

Usman in the letter copied Acting President Yemi Osibanjo among others, challenged the EFCC, to explain the whereabouts of over 60 vessels arrested with stolen crude handed over to the Commission under his watch as CNS.

The letter perused by Daily Trust said, “I regret to state that my life has been under threat by operatives of the EFCC, since my retirement from active service of the Nigerian Navy on the 14 July 2015.

“I decided to put my thought in writing because of information made available to me from very reliable sources that plans have been concluded to plant incriminating evidence against me by operatives of the EFCC.

“I have observed that silence may not be golden after all in the face of some suspicious activities going around my properties by unknown elements. My life is at stake, my dignity is at stake, my integrity is at stake and my name is at stake,” he added.

Jibrin alleged that a ‘cabal’ was behind the EFCC investigation, “Your organisation is been used by a cabal, who are very uncomfortable with my freedom and threatened by my unblemished record as the former CNS, who fought them to a standstill in their illegal bunkering and oil theft.”

He added that, “It is worth noting that EFCC has conducted searches on me in eight locations without discovering incriminating evidence bordering on financial crimes. In most cases, my assets were destroyed in my absence, without a single apology from the commission or explanation as to why my properties were raided.”

He added that in all eight instances, no search warrants were produced before these raids were conducted “neither was I notified”.

He further explained that the EFCC has already charged him to court over a Navy Guest House, which was a safe house bought by the Navy under his watch.

When contacted yesterday, EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren said Jibrin is a suspect under prosecution by the Commission.

He stated that the commission was not in the habit of planting evidence on suspects and anyone making such allegations is just flying a kite.