Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, have discovered $9 million cash at the residence of the sacked Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, retired Brig.-Gen. Paul Tarelah Boroh.
Special Adviser on Niger Delta to President Muhammadu Buhari has also been arrested.
The discovery of the cash was made a few hours after his arrest by a combined team of EFCC and ONSA operatives.
The Head, Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujiaren, confirmed the arrest in response to THISDAY’s enquiries on Monday.
A senior security agent said Boroh was picked up from his home in Gwarinpa, Abuja, on Monday.
He was reported to have been taken back to his residence at about 3 a.m. Tuesday by the security operatives who raided his house for hours and made the cash discovery of $9 million at his home.
He remains in the custody of the EFCC.
“The former adviser was driven to his home in an unmarked car after his arrest. His home was searched for several hours and about $9 million cash was discovered in several safe boxes in several parts of the house,” the senior security agent stated.
“The combined team of EFCC and the National Security Adviser operatives were very thorough with the search. Indeed, at a point, the operatives broke all the locks in the home including his wife’s closet. The recovered cash has been deposited at the Office of the NSA.”
Buhari sacked Boroh last week and announced Prof. Charles Dokubo as his replacement.
In the statement announcing Boroh’s dismissal, it said the NSA, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), had been directed to probe the activities of the Amnesty Office from 2015, when Boroh was appointed, especially allegations of financial impropriety and other acts that were allegedly detrimental to the objectives of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
According to investigations by THISDAY, Boroh’s sack, investigation and arrest by the EFCC may not be unconnected to a petition, among others, that was sent to the president last August.
A petition to Buhari dated August 21, 2017 and signed by one Timi Angalabiri, on behalf of the Niger Deltans for Accountability and Good Governance (NDAGG).
The group requested the president to suspend the ex-Amnesty Programme boss “for a credible investigative inquiry to commence into the non-payment of tuition fees and living expenses of recently graduated Niger Delta students in universities across the United States, the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
The petitioner further pleaded with Buhari to use his good office to prosecute Boroh and others for allegedly diverting the sum of N70 billion.
Shortly after the petition was written, rumours swirled about Boroh’s sack by the president, but they were dismissed by the former Amnesty Programme boss.
“This story about my suspension and even sack has been off and on in the media, but the truth is that I have not been sacked and no one should disrupt the relative prevailing peace in the Niger Delta region with such fake news,” he had said.
“What is happening is the handiwork of political enemies and those who do not want the region to be peaceful. The rumours they are peddling are just rubbish and unfounded. Under my watch, the programme, candidly speaking, has helped greatly to stabilise the region.”
The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers and 10 other militant groups Tuesday threatened to attack oil installations in the Niger Delta if the sacked coordinator of the Amnesty Programme was not reinstated in four weeks.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Johnmark Ezonbi, leader of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, said the federal government would “hear from them” if Boroh was not reinstated.
He said the sacked coordinator of the Amnesty Programme played a significant role in prevailing peace in the Niger Delta.