- By Halimah Olamide
The newly appointed Chairman of the National Commission on Almajiri and Out-of-School Children, Major General Lawal Jafar Isa (rtd) was one of the beneficiaries of controversial billions of Naira illegally shared by the office of the National Security Adviser under the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, Col. Sambo Dasuki.
NPO Reports that Isa was arrested in 2016 by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the allegation that he collected a sum of N170million from the office of the National Security Adviser.
Isa was however let off the hook of the EFCC after it was reported that he refunded about 60% of the money collected. Media reports in 2016 had quoted an EFCC source why he was released. Regarding the interrogation of Gen. Isa, the source said: “He admitted collecting money from ONSA and he has refunded 60 per cent of the sum credited to him. I think it should be about N100 million.
“Isa is the only person who has so far refunded money among the political figures who collected funds from ONSA. We have granted him bail to allow him time to source for the balance,” The Nation had reported then.
NPO Reports recalls that many political bigwigs were arrested and tried by the EFCC over allegations that they collected funds from the office of the National Security Adviser. Some of those who had come under trial over the alleged looting of funds include former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, former Governor of Ekiti, Ayo Fayose, a one time spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisah Metuh, former Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and many others.
It was later revealed that the funds being shared from the office of National Security Adviser at the time were meant for procuring war equipment to fight the then ravaging Boko Haram terrorists.