The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is enmeshed in another internal scandal as an officer in charge of Kaduna Zonal Office’s exhibit room allegedly absconded with over $30,000 and other valuable exhibits.
Earlier in January, the country’s flagship anti-corruption agency said it had detained 10 officers in Lagos over theft of operational items they could not account for.
Although the commission did not disclose the specific items stolen by the officials, DAILY NIGERIAN findings revealed that they stole gold bars worth over N1billion as well as over $180,000 and about GBP 140,000.
In the latest scandal, DAILY NIGERIAN exclusively gathered that a member of staff of the commission, simply identified as Polycarp, vanished into a thin air when he failed to account for “over $30,000”.
Insiders who preferred anonymity told this newspaper that the zonal director, Benedict Ubi, a couple of weeks ago ordered for an audit of the directorate’s exhibit room, following the internal heist that occurred in Lagos.
According to the sources, when Mr Polycarp received the directive that the exhibit room would be audited, he took an excuse to ease himself and fled.
“Immediately after the order for the audit was given, he took an excuse to ease himself. Efforts were made to contact him but all his telephone lines were switched off.
“This is only what the preliminary audit on foreign currency shows. There are chances that more could be uncovered after a thorough audit of the exhibit room,” said a source familiar with the development.
The commission had launched a manhunt to trace the fleeing officer’s whereabouts.
