For failing to appear before its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and
Public Petitions for thorough investigation on alleged N1trillion scam,
the Senate on Thursday gave nod to issuance of warrant of arrest against
the former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),
Ibrahim Lamorde.
Lamorde had been under the radar of the Committee since August last year
when a petitioner, George Uboh forwarded a petition against Lamorde to it
, alleging during his stay in office, he diverted over N1 trillion looted
funds recovered by the commission from corrupt officials.
Specifically, Uboh in the petition alleged that the fraud perpetrated by
Larmode dated back to his days as the Director of Operations of the EFCC
between 2003 and 2007, as well as an acting Chairman of the commission
between June 2007 and May 2008, when the then Chairman of the anti-graft
agency, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, was away for a course at the National Institute
for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos.
While the petitioner (George Uboh) had appeared before the committee since
September last year for substantiation of his allegations, Lamorde had
refused to appear before it to make any Defence.
The committee in its report considered by the Senate yesterday said it
forwarded three different written requests of appearance to Lamorde
between August and November last year, without him honoring any one of
them.
The committee therefore in its recommendation, requested the Senate to
issue warrant of arrest on Lamorde.
The committee stated in the recommendation that unless this line of action
was taken, the National Assembly might draw into consequential disrepute.