The Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, told journalists on Monday that the military would release any of its indicted personnel in the ongoing arms sale scam to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for prosecution.

Abubakar spoke against the backdrop of an alleged plan by the EFCC to arrest some of the senior military personnel indicted by the Presidential Panel on arms probe.

It was gathered on Monday that the EFCC called off a planned operation to arrest some of the senior military personnel indicted


 
The team of police operatives, who had assembled at the Idiagbon House Headquarters of the commission, could not move to the residences and the various services of the Armed Forces to arrest some senior officers indicted in the ongoing arms probe.

An operative of the commission said that the police operatives and their civilian counterparts had been put on standby for the current move to get the listed personnel for interrogation.

When contacted, the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said, “I am not aware of what you are talking about. I don’t know what you are talking about.”

But asked whether the military would release indicted military personnel to the EFCC for investigation and possible prosecution in the ongoing arms purchase scam, the Defence spokesperson said the DHQ would cooperate with the EFCC on the matter.

He said that the military would be in support of any effort that would ensure a corruption-free society.

Abubakar stressed that the military would be ready to hand over any indicted personnel for probe whenever such a request was made.

He said, “The military’s position is that we are in support of the ongoing campaign against corruption in this country. Corruption is a disease which retards national development, national prosperity and national security.”

It was also learnt on Monday that the EFCC might have extended its investigations into the activities of immediate-past Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Abdulahi Dikko, to some seniors officers, who served under him.

The PUNCH gathered on Monday that at least six senior officers, who served under Dikko were being probed by the EFCC.