Olisa Metuh spends first night in EFCC cell over N1.4bn traced to coy
The ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has landed the spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, in the Commission’s cell in Abuja.
Metuh, who was arrested by four operatives of the anti-graft agency from his Abuja home, spent the first night with his interrogators at the headquarters of the EFCC, answering questions on how the sum of N1.4 billion strayed from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser into a company, Destra, linked to him.
Interestingly, it was the suspect, who first hinted that the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, had given him a job to do and that he successfully completed the said job, but failed to say what it was and how much he was paid for and when.
The revelation by Metuh, according to EFCC officials, prompted the agency to beam its searchlight on cash payments from the ONSA, leading to the discovery that he was one of the major beneficiaries of slush funds, now a subject of investigation and prosecution by the Federal Government.
It was learnt that out of the $2.1 billion arms funds, N400 million was transferred from ONSA to the company on November 24, 2014 which previously had a balance of N6, 676,576.06 only before the major transfer from the ONSA.
A top source in the EFCC said that Metuh was also receiving a monthly pay of N4 million from ONSA.
A top EFCC source said Metuh was likely to spend the night with them given the weight of financial transactions in ONSA traced to him and his company.
The source said: “We arrested Chief Metuh this morning (yesterday) and as we speak he is still being questioned and it is not likely that he will be released today.
“We want to finish the interrogation of Metuh at once, so that we can decide whether to charge him to court or let him to go,” the source said.
Metuh, has, however slammed his arrest by the EFCC, claiming that he was being persecuted.
“I have not done anything unlawful. Whatever I have done in pursuance of my office, I can defend it anywhere, any time,” he said.
