The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission has invited Toyin Saraki, the wife of Senate President,
Bukola Saraki, for questioning
over alleged shady contracts during her
husband’s tenure as the governor of Kwara State.
Also, the daughter of the late former
President Umaru Yar’Adua, who is also the wife of an ex-Governor of
Kebbi State, Mrs. Zaina Dakingari, was said to have been invited by the
anti-graft agency.
Saraki’s wife is billed to appear before
EFCC interrogators on July 28, a day after Yar’Adua’s daughter would
have been questioned.
Mrs Dakingari, The PUNCH learnt on Wednesday, would answer questions on the alleged misappropriation of N2bn state funds.
Toyin Saraki was said to be under probe
in relation to several contracts executed by companies said to be linked
to her while her husband held sway as the Kwara governor.
A source at the EFCC, who confided in our
correspondent in Abuja, said, “The commission has invited the wives of
two former state governors, Mrs. Toyin Saraki and Mrs. Zaiba Dakingari.
“Mrs. Dakingari was supposed to have
appeared before the commission on Wednesday (yesterday) but she sent a
message that she was outside the country and would honour the invitation
on July 27, 2015.
“She is to provide an explanation in relation to N2bn state funds.
“The commission is expecting Saraki on
July 28, 2015. The exact amount of money involved in her matter is not
stated for now but she is to be quizzed in relation to various contracts
executed in Kwara State when her husband was governor of the state.”
The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren,
confirmed to our correspondent that the commission had sent out
invitations to some wives of former governors though he said he did not
know their identities.
Meanwhile, the EFCC operators on
Wednesday grilled ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s Senior Special
Assistant on Schools and Agricultural Programmes, Baraka Sani.
Sani was reportedly interrogated by
operatives of the commission at its headquarters for eight hours before
she was allowed to go.
The former President’s aide, The PUNCH
learnt, was said to have been directed to report again at the
commission in the early hours of Thursday (today) to answer further
questions from her interrogators.
The PUNCH had reported
exclusively on Tuesday that the EFCC had concluded plans to embark on a
probe of officials of the Jonathan administration.
The former public officers said to be the
target of the EFCC are former ministers, special advisers, senior
special assistants, heads of parastatals and agencies in the previous
administration.
Sani was the first aide of the former President to be quizzed by the EFCC.
It was gathered that the EFCC grilled her in relation to funds voted for schools agricultural programmes.
The commission is said to be working on the allegation that funds voted for schools agricultural programmes were diverted.
A source at the EFCC said, “Operatives of
the commission today interrogated the Senior Special Assistant to the
former President on Schools and Agricultural Programmes in relation to
funds voted for the programmes.
“She is being quizzed for diversion of funds meant for the schools’ agricultural programmes.
“She came in the morning and spent eight
hours before she was allowed to go. The interrogation has not ended
because those in charge of the investigation asked her to return
tomorrow (Thursday). So we are still expecting her.
Uwujaren confirmed to our correspondent on the telephone that Sani was at the commission’s headquarters on Wednesday.
“I can confirm that she was at the
commission’s headquarters to answer questions for alleged financial
impropriety,” the EFCC spokesman said.
Source:Punch Newspaper.
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