April 04, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has seized the international passports of some officials of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN).
The passports were seized over allegations of financial fraud. They had earlier been invited by the anti-graft agency.
ASCSN is a labour union, affiliated with the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), which has members cut across both federal and state levels.
THEWILL reports that the union has in the last few months been engulfed by crises.
The EFCC and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), had commenced a probe of some officials of the union.
However, on Monday, the EFCC seized the international passports of the Secretary-General of ASCSN, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal; Deputy Secretary-General of ASCSN, Comrade Joshua Apebo; and that of the FCT Secretary/Head of Admin, Comrade Issac Ojemhenke.
Sources within the union, said the EFCC also mandated Apebo to report monthly to its Abuja office, pending when investigations are concluded on the ongoing probe within the union.
Former Chairman of ASCSN in Oyo State, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, confirmed the seizure of passports of the officials.
Emelieze said members of the union were disturbed by the development. He called on EFCC not to allow the investigations to be swept under the carpet.
He said, “As members of the union, we are disturbed by these ugly and horrible developments. It is worrisome that so-called comrades have been trading with the union to the extent that Comrade Lawal and some of his collaborators are now richer than the union.
“With the hundreds of millions of naira discovered in their accounts, the billions deposited in Meristem Securities Limited and their choice property in Lagos, Abuja and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Please see attached pictures of some of Lawal’s property in Lagos. We now know why Lawal is forcing himself on the union.
“We are also calling on the EFCC and its Chairman, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, not to allow these investigations to be swept under the carpet. We are aware that investigations are almost concluded.
“We are also aware of the confessions made and the revelations so far. We, the workers, are following your investigations with keen interest, we are also aware of the clash of interest between EFCC and the ICPC on these investigations, which has slowed down the investigations by the EFCC.”
However, Ojemhenke while reacting, said that he and other officials were putting their heads together to respond to the various allegations levelled against them.
Ojemhenke in a chat with newsmen on Monday said, “We are putting our heads together to respond to the alleged N14b allegations.
“Like I told you, we are putting our heads together to respond to those allegations. Even in the past posts, we are putting our heads together to respond to them. That is that.”
Apebo, in his own reaction, said that he was not aware of the seizure of the passports.
“I don’t know what they are saying. I said that I don’t know what they are saying”, he said.
