#DakusiGate: Why we have not arrested Jonathan- EFCC Boss

The $2.1 billion arm deal, which was managed by the Office of former National Security Adviser, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, has been a controversial issue in the past few months. With each passing day leading to further revelations and arrests. While some key actors in the last administration are saying that the controversial fund was not budget for arm. That the supposed money was from the security vote budget, which had, traditionally been under the mercy of the sitting government.

However it has remain a mystery why the former President, Goodluck Jonathan has not been arrested or called for questioning being the principal actor in the whole arm deal saga.


 The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, in a gathering of online news publishers under the aegis of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers on Monday in Lagos, revealed  why former President Goodluck Jonathan has not been arrested over the controversial $2.1 billion arms deal.
According to the EFCC boss, no document has been traced to Jonathan giving any approval for the disbursement of the money for any other purpose than arms purchase and all those that have been arrested are people who disbursed or collected the said money for reasons other that the procurement of arms and ammunition.
Offering answer to the question why Jonathan was yet to be summoned by the EFCC, Magu said:
“All approvals by former President Jonathan did not mention that it was for political purposes.
“All the memos approved by him was for the purchase of arms.”
he said the bulk of the money disbursed from the $2.1 billion had been traced to financing the Peoples Democratic Party and promoting the bid of Jonathan to retain the presidential seat in the 2015 general election.
 He also reinstated his commitment in bringing corrupt elements to justice, whether the persons are highly placed or not, adding that the extent of the looting of the nation’s treasury was mind numbing.

On why his office is being selective in the arrest, he said Jafar Isa who was arrested recently for receiving N170 million from former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), has refunded N100 million and signed an undertaking to refund the balance. He said in spite of the refund, Isa would still be prosecuted.
Magu also said Olisa Metuh, the National Publicity Secretary of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said he would rather go on hunger strike than refund the N400 million he allegedly collected from Dasuki.

On why the court cases are mostly prolonged, he said this is because of many court applications, adding that “when a politician steals N10 billion, he keeps N5 billion for litigation. He hires Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs). Judges accuse us of not conducting thorough investigation in order to compromise.”