The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Monday invited and quizzed the immediate past Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, David Parradang, over allegations of fraudulent practices within the Service under his tenure.
Competent sources in the security apparatchik told our reporter that his ordeal may be connected to the fraud that trailed the controversial recruitment into the service in which many died and scores wounded.
Paradang arrived the EFCC headquarters in the Wuse 2 District of Abuja at 10.05am and was immediately taken into the interrogation room by EFCC’s operatives. It was gathered that the agents grilled Mr. Paradang on the ownership of the company that was used to extort N1000 from each of the NIS applicants, which reportedly fetched over a N1 billion in the process and what the money was used for. The agents, it was learnt, suspect that the money must have been stolen or diverted and should be accounted for in the light of the anti-corruption disposition of the Buhari administration.
Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesman for the EFCC, confirmed the invitation but did not give details of what transpired at the interrogation room. The invitation followed claims and counter claims by the immediate past Interior Minister, Abba Moro and Parradang over the failed recruitment bids of the agency and the amount said to have been realised from the applicants.
It will be recalled that the CG, who was first suspended before being fired by President Muhammadu Buhari last month, had a face-off with the former Interior minister, Abba Moro, over the two sets of recruitments into the NIS. While Parradang said his hands were tied, Moro accused him of being economical with the truth but the ousted CG has not opened up on what really transpired when he held sway under Moro.
Mr. Uwujaren, who did not disclose the actual reason for the interrogation, said Mr. Parradang was still being quizzed at the time of filing the report. Mr. Parradang was in August suspended from office by President Muhammadu Buhari. He has since been replaced by his deputy, Martin Abeshi.
Shortly after his suspension, a group of top cats in the Service rose in his defence, alleging blackmail and witch-hunt in his ordeal. But our reporter learnt that the ongoing investigation is already sending jitters in the Service with some senior officers linked with the recruitment scandal as well as some public servants in the Ministry of Interior already fingered fearing a hurricane of retirement and prosecution may sweep them out of service.
