The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at the weekend, continued its clampdown on people who could give information on the vexed $2.1 billion arms deal probe, with the arrest of a former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), Major General Wiwa, younger brother to the late Ken Saro-Wiwa.
This is coming at a time when Citizens’ Initiative for Security Awareness (CISA), warned the media to desist from using sensational stories on military officers.
Sources revealed that General Wiwa, the Deputy Commandant at the Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi has been transferred to Abuja, where he’s being detained.
Daily Sun gathered that the detained soldier served in the office of the National Security Adviser when late General Patrick Azazi occupied the office. He remained in office during Col. Sambo Dasuki’s tenure from where he was appointed Director of Military Intelligence when Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika became the Chief of Army staff, a position he retained under the tenure of General Kenneth Minimah.
Sources at the EFCC revealed that the general was picked up for questioning over the involvement of the former Chief of Army Staff in arms purchase scandal.
In a related development CISA has cautioned the media against sensational stories.
In a signed statement by Aliyu Dogo, Head of Publicity and Mobilisation yesterday, CISA said: “We frown at the unconscionable concoction of stories and unrelated pictures to tar certain officers in the media. Take for instance, the story making rounds that $1m dollars was found in drums or in soak- away belonging to a certain officer, yet, the soak-away has no sign of breakage nor were Nigerians shown the confiscated money.
“Just so to achieve the intention of demonising the officers, the picture of drums containing dollars belonging to the late Colombian drug kingpin, Pablo Escobar, which was unearthed by a Colombian farmer in 2015 are being circulated today in Nigeria as belonging to a Nigerian military officer indicted for corruption. Nigerians were also told of the former military assistant to late Azazi and Dasuki, who is a serving Colonel whose house was allegedly broken and millions of dollars were allegedly found inside. This same officer is still in detention for more than two months yet, no charge has been preferred against him, while the so-called millions of dollars found in his house were not authenticated.
“A couple of days ago, Nigerians were treated with a report of public humiliation and arrest at the airport of a serving top Air Force officer by police men in mufti in spite of the pleadings and protestations of fellow generals that the senior officer is not running away but travelling abroad on official assignments. As a civil society group interested in galvanising public support for the Nigerian military and other security agencies in the country, CISA is gravely worried about the implication of orchestrating the circulation of unproven stories of alleged corrupt practices by military officers.”
“CISA believes that media trial of our top military officers, serving or retired, is an ill-wind that will blow nobody any good.
“CISA believes our military and security institutions and its officers must not be exposed to such public ridicule.
“We frown at the unrelenting profiling of the military as haven of corruption and officers as corrupt fellows when, indeed, none of the allegations have been proven or any of the indicted officers convicted by the judicial system.
“We should all support the government in its War Against Corruption without dehumanising and discrediting individuals and institutions through false and sensational reports that can dent our national pride and reputation.”
