The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has given a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, the option of returning the N520m he allegedly collected from a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), or be prosecuted for money laundering.
It was learnt that Anyim, who is also a former Senate President, was still in the EFCC custody on Saturday and might remain there until investigations reach a logical conclusion.
A source at the EFCC said, “Anyim collected N520m from Dasuki on the eve of the presidential election in March, 2015. We have asked him to return the money. That is our primary goal. Let him tell us how he intends to pay back.”
The source explained that the commission was not in a hurry to release Anyim on self-recognizance as he was known to shun invitations.
He added, “Anyim had, in the past, shunned invitations by the National Assembly and even the EFCC. He is not the type to be granted unconditional bail.”
Meanwhile, it was learnt that the EFCC had invited companies that received contracts during Anyim’s tenure.
Anyim was also accused of awarding contracts to some companies linked to him through which ecological funds were allegedly diverted.
The companies include Foundation Years Limited, Precious Integrated, Precious Petroleum, Mak & Mak, Chap Construction, Eldyke Engineering, Pryke Limited, Chipa Nigeria Limited, Prima A11 Limited, Pima International, Chanto Engineering, Ishiagu Microfinance Bank, Mulak Ventures, Vitro Engineering and Tip Top Nigeria.
The source added, “Anyim was SGF from May 2011 to May 29, 2015. During this period, specifically May 2012 to May 2015, the SGF Ecological Fund Account with the Central Bank of Nigeria received an inflow of N58,146,983,677.85.
“From this fund, three of the companies linked to Anyim – Foundation Years, Obis Associate and Eldyke Engineering – received contracts worth over N13bn. Foundation Years alone received a net payment of N10,308,017,838.85 between 2014 and 2015.
“Curiously, on receiving the fund, Foundation Years and another Anyim company, Br-Kthru made several transfers to 37 entities. Some of the organisations and individuals have no nexus at all with ecological issues. Investigators are probing the reasons behind the wild disbursement.”
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