Aso Rock Villa, the seat of the Nigerian Presidency, was, on penultimate Sunday, thrown into a panic, following an alarm by Mr. Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, that he was about to be arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Mr Kyari, who has been named in a number of corruption cases, said sources, told, Presidency officials that his residence at Defence House in Abuja was ordered invaded by Mr. Ibrahim Magu, Acting EFCC Chairman.
The Chief of Staff was said to have quickly notified the Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS), Mr. Lawan Daura, of the impending arrest. Mr. Daura, who has been offering protection to high profile corrupt persons, using his office, immediately deployed a platoon of DSS officers to stop Magu from carrying out the arrest.
The DSS officers, however, were stiffly resisted by soldiers guarding the Presidential Villa and its environs. The DSS officers were ordered back by the soldiers, who were said to have told them that they needed express permission to come to the Presidential Villa. The stand-off provoked more panic in Mr. Kyari, who believed that the arrest might have been ordered by the President.
SaharaReporters learned that Mr. Magu was in the Lagos office of the commission, but was summoned by President Buhari for a briefing on Monday. On arrival for the briefing by the President, Presidency disclosed that President Buhari was said to have been angry that the EFCC was planning to arrest his Chief of Staff without his knowledge. Mr. Magu was said to have told the President he had not ordered a raid on Mr. Kyari’s residence, but won’t disclose if there was investigation being conducted on him.
SaharaReporters had reported extensively on Mr. Kyari’s abuse of his office for huge pecuniary gains.
The EFCC, Sahara Reporters learned, has received numerous petitions against the Chief of Staff, with the petitioners calling for his removal. The President, however, has ignored them.
