The former Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Probe, Lawan Farouk may remain in Custody of the Nigerian Police until he produces the alleged $620,000.00 to the Task Force in charge of the investigation.
The investigation officers from the Special Task Force, STF who are currently in charge of the $3illion bribe scandal against Lawan Farouk had yesterday carried out a serious search in his residence at the Apo Legislative Quarters. It was reported that the search in the former Chairman’s house lasted for one hour.
The Secretary of the Committee, Hon. Boniface Emenalo’s house was also searched. Emenalo was alleged to have collected $120,000 as part of the bribe money.
Farauk and Emanelo were detained at the Police Force Criminal Investigations Department, FCID, located in Garki, Area 10 Abuja. However, Farouk was last seen alighting from a jeep around 2.45 pm inside the Force Headquarters with a police Hilux closely following behind.
It was reported that Lawan had only returned from his house, where some special detectives went to carry out a search. It was further learnt that a total sum of $10,000.00 was recovered from his house during the search.
It was revealed to our correspondent that Farouk may not be released until he produces the said bribe money to the police. An inside source said “I cannot say whether or not he would be granted bail as we are still chatting with him. So it will be premature to say whether we can release him on bail for now”.
It was also revealed that due to the new information and other details provided before the investigation panel, the scope of the matter has increased, and will take a lot of time for a good job to be done “We are now talking about huge sums of money given to the probe committee and some of the oil marketers that were extorted have gone to the court to depose to affidavits to reveal everything” an inside source discosed.
Farouk had in a new statement told the police that when the information got to him that it was a set up, he received the money and handed it over to the Chairman , House Committee on Financial Crimes. He had assured the Task Force that the money would be returned untouched.
However the STF doubts his defensive statement, stating that the House Committee Chairman on Financial Crimes would be invited to come with the marked money allegedly given to Farouk in order to back up Farouk’s assertion.
It was gathered yesterday at the Force Headquarters that an interim report has been submitted to the Inspector General Police, while investigation into the matter will still continue until the whole fact is revealed.
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