Federal Agency Boss Sacked, Arrested Over N5.6billion Scam

A joint team of the Department State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and the Special Investigator of President Bola Tinubu have reportedly arrested former Managing Director of the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), Aliyu Abdlhameed, almost a year after he was sacked from office.

It was reported that the joint security team had been on Abdlhameed’s trail for the past five months over allegations of severe corrupt practices while in office.

The Daily Trust reported that the former NIRSAL boss was apprehended last week on the premises of a federal government’s revenue-generating agency in Abuja where he had gone to lobby for a reappointment.

A source who confided in the newspaper said: “After turning down several invitations, the joint team eventually got hold of him on the premises of a popular government parastatal in Abuja where he was said to have gone to lobby either to return as NIRSAL MD or as the head of the Nigeria Agriculture Development Fund.”

The newspaper reported that Abdulhameed was kicked out of office following allegations of corruption, including a 2018 N5.6 billion wheat project meant for farmers in Kano and Jigawa states.

His sack was reportedly endorsed by the Board of the CBN following approval from the Presidency in December last year.

Daily Trust’s findings indicated that the embattled ex-NIRSAL boss, who is said to be in the custody of the DSS, was being quizzed on multiple allegations of corruption during his tenure.

A source at the NIRSAL confided in Daily Trust that the investigators were also seeking answers based on findings contained in an investigation earlier conducted by a team from the CBN following a petition against the NIRSAL on alleged fraud, money laundering and criminal conspiracy.

It was gathered that following the investigation, the Banking Supervision Department of the CBN wrote to the ex-NIRSAL boss seeking explanation to “observed breaches of internal policies and procedures of the organisation, relevant regulations and laws, especially the Public Procurement Act 2007.”

Findings by Daily Trust indicated that a query on the breaches was conveyed in a letter referenced: BSD/SPG/CON/NIR/13/083 titled: ‘On a spot check on the operation of NIRSAL conducted between August 27, 2020 and September 11, 2020.’

In the document exclusively obtained by Daily Trust, the CBN had, in its interim report, drawn attention to questionable spendings and procurement violations, and requested the ousted NIRSAL boss to forward his reply within three days.

Sources also revealed that 32 official vehicles were discovered to have been diverted to personal use by the former NIRSAL MD during his tenure.

A staff member of the NIRSAL familiar with the development disclosed that only two of the vehicles had been retrieved by security operatives and returned to the organisation following his arrest.

He said it was discovered that 21 of the diverted vehicles were purchased with official funds as auction in the name of some staff of the NIRSAL without their knowledge, but were converted to personal use by the former MD.

He was also said to have made away with nine exotic vehicles, including two bullet proof jeeps, and household items at four official guest houses belonging to the NIRSAL in Lagos, Abuja and Yola.