EX EFCC BOSS, RIBADU ARRESTED

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu

The face-off between the former boss of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the top brass of the Nigeria Police, took a dramatic twist at the weekend when he was whisked away to an unknown destination by security operatives.

He was forcefully removed from the venue of the graduation ceremony of the National Institute For Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), in Kuru near Jos, in plateau State. He was one of the graduands.

Ribadu had challenged his demotion from Deputy Inspector general (DIG), to Deputy commissioner, sequel to a recommendation by the Police Service Commission that some police officers were unduly elevated by then President, Olusegun Obasanjo.

He was sandwiched by a horde of operatives and advised to leave the scene to the chagrin of members of his family as well as guests who had come to rejoice with him on the occasion.

His arrest was preceded by drama and confusion at the conference hall venue of the graduation ceremony of the Senior Executive Course 30 as only 63 of 65 participants were conferred with the membership of the institute.

Another person who was denied graduation was Mr. Deinbo Allen Briggs apparently because of his alleged involvement in a controversy over a missing camera.

Trouble started for Ribadu, who with confidence, had sauntered into the hall on mufti instead of the usual ceremonial police uniform. He exchanged banters with some of the participants and even took some shots with them. But a few minutes after he and his family took their seats, a deputy inspector general of police approached him and asked him to go and be properly dressed.

Ribadu told him that he could not dress in any ceremonial dress since the issue of his demotion was still a subject of litigation.

Before then, it was reliably learnt that the Acting Director–General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Mr. James Opadiran, had received instructions not to inaugurate Ribadu after he reportedly gave Ribadu a clean bill of health at a press conference on Thursday.

advertisement

The authorities were irked that he cleared Ribadu without permission and therefore the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, was dispatched to Jos to convey the feelings of the Presidency.

The management of NIPSS under the Acting Director–General, held a meeting to decide Ribadu’s fate.

All this melodrama was going on without Ribadu’s knowledge, but as he was entering the hall, it was clear that something was amiss as he was seen making frantic call. Indeed he appeared to be agitated.

At this point, his wife and six children and other close associates who had come to rejoice with him were excused outside by the security men who all joined Ribadu at his institute chalet, NI\A Circle 12.

When our correspondent visited the chalet, a handful of his well wishers were seen lamenting the situation.

Ribadu’s wife and her children were herded in a Prado Jeep and  driven out of the premises of the institute.

As the entire ceremony lasted, Ribadu remained in his chalet as he was prevented from going out by security personnel. 

In a telephone interview later, Ribadu said that he was “forced out of the graduation hall” by security operatives and taken to a hidden location within the premises.

He said, “They forced me out of the hall with 40 members of my family and friends who have come to rejoice with me”, he told our correspondent. He said he did not know why it had to be that way since he was not made aware of the plan on ground.

“I was forced out; I don’t know why it has to be like that. You cannot come even if I said you should come. They (the security men) would not allow you in,” Ribadu said.

Before the names of the graduands were announced, the Acting Director of Studies, Alhaji Adamu Fika, had announced that out of the 65 participants, only 63 would be presented for the ceremony.

He said that Ribadu and Briggs were -unavoidably absent on account of ill-health. His announcement caused some stir and elicited some murmurs from the participants and guests.

In the midst of the confusion, the Master of Ceremony, Ambassador A. O. Owoeye, who is a study group director, breached the protocol which led to the non-induction of the remaining participants into the alumni association by the President, Mr. Abdulwahid Umar, after they were conferred with mni. He asked the police band to play the national anthem to signal the end of the ceremony before the ANI president could make his speech and induct the new members.