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ABUJA BLASTS LATEST: SSS, EFCC trace $20m to politician’s account
•How Dokpesi’s messages were traced -Source
•Why IBB’s campaign organisation DG was released



DETAILS emerging from the Special Investigation Panel coordinating the investigations into the October 1 bomb blasts that rocked Abuja indicated, on Tuesday, that the government has traced the sum of $20 million to the account of a particular politician who is undergoing surveillance.

Reports at the disposal of the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja indicated inputs from two major institutions of government, including the State Security Service (SSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had confirmed the lodgment of the sum of $20 million in the account of a prominent politician, who is already being investigated in connection with the bomb blasts.

It was gathered that the said sum was moved from different accounts in the last one month and that it finally landed in one of the company accounts of the politician in focus.

Sources confirmed that the Financial Intelligence Unit of the EFCC had been on the trail of the said politician, who was said to have visited South Africa, two weeks ago.

“The Financial Intelligence Unit has sufficient capacity to detect movement of funds. The said money moved to some states in the North in four different accounts and the same later landed in the company account of one suspected source of the bombs. It appears that the said funds are being deployed in the execution of the dastardly acts,” sources said on Tuesday.

It was gathered that the SSS, which interrogated the Director-General of Ibrahim Babangida Campaign Organisation, Dr Raymond Dokpesi, on Monday, over the Abuja blasts had placed the media owner under close watch immediately he raised the alarm over his life.

Dokpesi, three weeks ago, raised the alarm that his life was in danger and that some political figures were planning to kidnap him. Former military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida, was to corroborate the claim a day later when he said that the threat to Dokpesi’s life was real.

Sources, however, confirmed that the check on Dokpesi had been thorough and that the security operatives initially were looking for clues on those who allegedly wanted to kidnap him.

Government sources told the Nigerian Tribune that the security agencies deployed SIM Card analysts to X-ray Dokpesi’s phones immediately he was linked to the nine persons arrested in respect of the bomb blasts.

Said a source knowledgeable about the ongoing investigations: “There have been checks on him (Dokpesi) since he raised the alarm that he was being targeted for kidnap. There were reports that he was sighted overseas. There are equally some details about certain funds movement which had to do with him. But I can tell you the reports coming from the security outfits about him and other persons are solid. There is no politics to the investigations.”

The source, however, said that the SSS decided to release Dokpesi and to allow him to appear for interrogation from his home so as not to give those who plan to politicise the ongoing investigations the opportunity to do so.

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/11765-abuja-blasts-latest-sss-efcc-trace-20m-to-politicians-account-how-dokpesis-messages-were-traced-source-why-ibbs-campaign-organisation-dg-was-released