The Senate may issue a warrant for the arrest of a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, this week barring an unexpected reversal, our correspondent has learnt.
This means the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, may be ordered to arrest Lamorde, who is currently undergoing a course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos.
The upper chamber had on Thursday last week asked its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to begin the process of issuing a warrant for the police officer’s arrest.
The senate is currently investigating Lamorde following a petition against him by one Dr. George Uboh.
In his petition, Uboh accused the former EFCC boss of diverting over N1tn the anti-graft agency recovered from treasury looters.
Uboh, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Panic Alert Security Systems, had petitioned the Senate through the senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Peter Nwaoboshi, alleging that Lamorde, in connivance with other EFCC officials, short-changed the Federal Government in the remittance of funds and assets recovered from some corrupt public officers.
The petitioner alleged that under Lamorde, the EFCC opened bank accounts for the funds it recovered from corrupt officials, but the funds did not reflect in the agency’s audited accounts.
The whistle-blower also alleged that the EFCC doctored and manipulated bank accounts to conceal the alleged fraud.
Lamorde was also accused of diverting over 90 per cent of the money the EFCC recovered in foreign currencies, including those from multinational companies.
At the consideration of the report at plenary on Thursday, the ethics panel lamented efforts by the House to get a reaction from Lamorde were not successful.
The Chairman of the committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who read the report, noted that Lamorde ignored all invitations extended to him and urged the House to issue a warrant for his arrest.
The committee therefore said it had become necessary to force Lamorde to appear if only to “save the National Assembly as the highest law-making body of the nation, from irreparable damage to its reputation and capacity to summon.”
Our correspondent learnt from the Senate President’s office on Sunday that Arase might get Lamorde’s arrest warrant this week.
The source confirmed that the ethics panel had forwarded its request to the Senate President Bukola Saraki.
The source said, “I am not sure there will be any delay. The arrest warrant will be sent to the appropriate quarters anytime this week.”
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