EFCC Raids Home of Former Customs Boss

Anenih: I gave N440m to politicians, groups; Ladoja admits receiving N100m

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday searched the Abuja residence of the immediate Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Alhaji Inde Dikko.

This came as Accord party, one of the political parties which did not sponsor a candidate in the 2015 presidential election confirmed yesterday that its leader, Senator Rashidi Ladoja received N100 million from the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih, ahead of the 2015 general election.

A family member of the former Customs’ boss told THISDAY last night that the heavily armed EFCC operatives stormed Dikko’s house located at No. 4, Ahmed Musa Crescent, off Ebitu Ukiwe Street,Jabi, with two articulated vehicles with a search warrant.

“The security people came to the house with two Toyota Hiace trucks with registration numbers RSH 555 AB and BWA 645 GA and said they were there to search the house. Our Oga was not around. He travelled out of the country.

“The family members of oga were held hostage for hours; no

one was allowed to either enter or leave the house within the hours of their operation. At the end of their operation, some of them left with plenty of documents and other things. While 10 of the armed security men were left behind to watch over the house,” the family source told THISDAY.

When THISDAY visited the house at about 3:45pm, nine armed security operatives wearing EFCC’s shirts were seen at the gate of Dikko’s house.

A senior staff of the EFCC who confirmed the incident to THISDAY yesterday said he could not give detail of the search.

But an insider said the EFCC’s action may be linked to Dikko’s activities during his six-year tenure as Customs boss, “especially his financial contributions to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s failed re-election bid.”

The former Customs’ boss had voluntarily resigned his appointment two months after

President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015.

Ladoja admits receiving N100m from Anenih…

Also yesterday, Accord Party, one of the political parties which did not sponsor a candidate in the 2015 presidential election confirmed that its leader, Rashidi Ladoja, received N100 million Anenih, ahead of the 2015 general election.

The confirmation was contained in a one-page letter to the Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, by the National Secretary of Accord, Hon. Nureni Adisa.

In the letter entitled: “Release of One Hundred Million by Chief Tony Anenih” and dated January 8, 2016 2016, Hon. Adisa stated: “Our attention has been drawn to a newspaper report that the sum of N100 million was released to the Accord leader, Senator Rashidi Ladoja by Chief Tony Anenih, the (former) Chairman BoT of the PDP.

“We confirm that the sum of N100 million was given to the party through our leader after series of meetings between the leadership of Accord and Chief Tony Anenih in preparation for the 2015 general elections.

“The following issues were discussed at the meetings: The need to support the Presidential candidate of the PDP since Accord had no Presidential candidate; the need to ensure that peace was maintained to enhance peaceful movement during periods of campaign, elections and after the elections and the need for the PDP to support Accord campaign effort.

“Accordingly, the PDP (former) BoT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih released the sum of N100 million for these purposes through our leader, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja. The money released was accordingly used for the purposes as stated above.”

The disbursements of huge sums of money to the accounts of some PDP leaders have been reportedly made by the former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki.

N260 million was reportedly traced to the account of Anenih. But in a letter to the EFCC, Anenih had explained that the money was a part refund of the money former President Goodluck Jonathan instructed him to release to some political groups for mobilisation and post-election peace advocacy.

The former PDP BoT Chairman, who explained that he was not a direct beneficiary of the money, stated in his letter to the EFCC that N100 million was given to the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olu Falae; N100 million to the leader of Accord, Senator Ladoja, and N63 million to a group headed by elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai.

He said the N260 million could not defray the total money, estimated at over N440 million that he eventually doled out from his pocket to other groups and individuals on the instructions of the former President.

Both Yakassai and Falae had already confirmed that they received N63 million and N100 million respectively from Anenih for the purposes specified.

Apart from Ladoja, THISDAY also gathered that delegates from Kastina State, comprising traditional rulers, top politicians and elder statesmen, who visited former President Jonathan few weeks before the 2015 general election were also given N35 million by Chief Anenih on the instruction of Jonathan.

A senior staff of the commission had told THISDAY in Abuja that the seven-page letter by Anenih explained all the EFCC requested for and how the fund was utilised.

According to EFCC’s source, Anenih was said to have further stated in his letter that after he had disbursed the money, he called former President Goodluck Jonathan one day for a refund, and that Jonathan later requested him to send his bank account number for payment. He said he was in his house one day when he received a credit alert from his bank.

The PDP chieftain further added in his letter to the EFCC that it was later he got to know that the former President had allegedly requested the Office of the NSA to pay the money into the account number he had earlier sent to him.

The elder Statesman, Tanko Yakasai had told journalists that Chief Anenih actually gave him and eight other prominent northerners N53 million for advocacy visit to northern traditional rulers, including first class northern emirs to mobilise their subjects for 2015 general election.

The former President Shehu Shagari’s Special Adviser said the money only catered for the group members’ allowances, transportation and hotels accommodation on a tour that took them to 18 states in the north.

Yakasai reportedly denied any link between the fund and campaigns for Jonathan and listed former minister of state, foreign Affairs, Alhaji Mamman Anka, Barrister Bitrus Gwada, Alhaji Suleiman Lawal, Dr Bahago, Chief John Macklink from Plateau, and Senator Sodangi as beneficiaries of the money.

Yakasai said the tour took them to the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar; emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II; the emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris and the emir of Gwandu; the emir of Anka, emir of Ilorin, emir of Nassarawa, Minnie, Bauchi, Zuru, Kebbi, Katsina, Dutse, Hadejia and representatives of emir of Daurawa and others.