A second round of investigation into the $2.1billion arms deals begins on Monday with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) ready to hit hard on the so called big thieves.
Top of the probe agenda is how the Jonathan Administration spent €3,654,121million to purchase security vehicles for the Republic of Niger in October 2013 and April 2014.
The cash was withdrawn from the ONSA account in two installments of €1,401,869 and €2,252,252.25.
The commission is also seeking to verify whether or not the vehicles were bought and under what diplomatic or bilateral security cooperation.
It was gathered that it would require finding out from the Republic of Niger if there was such assistance from Nigeria.
The agency plans to quiz a number more public figures including Minister of Finance in the Jonathan administration, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, some ex-Service Chiefs and serving military officers in connection with the $2.1billion arms deal.
Some suspects may be taken into custody in the process, sources hinted The Nation.
The EFCC, it was gathered, is through with the first phase of the probe of the arms deals which led to the arraignment of ex-National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki and 10 others.
The interrogation of the likes of Dasuki and the others now facing trial or about to be arraigned seems to have convinced the agency of diging deper than originally planned.
A top source said: “We are beginning the second phase of the ongoing investigation of the $2.1b arms deals on Monday. From the preliminary findings, the scandal is mind-boggling.
“We are going to question more high-profile serving and former public officers, including a former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the release of some funds.
“We want the ex-Minister to shed more light on how about $322million was disbursed to the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA).
“Some serving and former military chiefs will have to respond to issues which we have already isolated for clarification.”
The source said investigators have already obtained the list of military equipment which were bought and the inventory by the Armed Forces.
“This explains why some serving and former military chiefs will need to come and assist our investigators... Some of the companies which supplied these equipment have been contacted too.”
