The Senate has ordered the arrest of a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, for repeatedly refusing to appear before its probe panel.
The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, chaired by Samuel Anyanwu (APC-Imo East), is investigating Mr. Lamorde for alleged corruption. The committee requested for the arrest warrant Thursday.
Mr. Lamorde’s probe followed a petition by the chief executive of Public Alert Security Systems, George Uboh, who accused the former EFCC boss of diverting N1 trillion of assets recovered by the anti-graft agency during his time as the director of operations and later chairman.
Mr. Lamorde, through a statement by the spokesperson of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, had dismissed the allegation, questioning the motive of the Senate probe as it began in the wake of the EFCC’s investigation of Toyin Saraki, wife of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, over allegations of graft while her husband governed Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.
On November 17, 2015, Mr. Lamorde was represented by his lawyer, Festus Keyamo, but the Senate committee refused the lawyer audience.
The committee and Mr. Keyamo agreed on a “final date” – Tuesday, November 24, 2015 – for Mr. Lamorde to appear.
However, he did not appear.
Submitting his report on Thursday, Mr. Anyanwu said Mr. Lamorde had refused to “honour several invitations of the committee to answer charges brought against him while in office”.
The recommendation that Mr. Lamorde be arrested as well as a request for warrant of arrest on him were subsequently approved by the Senate. (Premium Times)
