TheCable

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says its operatives in Gombe have arrested one Danlami Rukuje, secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), for allegedly diverting materials meant for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesman, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Uwujaren said the SEMA official’s arrest and those of his accomplices followed a tip-off received by the intelligence and special operations section (ISOS) of the EFCC.

“The materials, which include cans of paints and bags of cement meant as building materials donated to the state by the Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiatives (PCNI), never made it to the IDP camps. Investigations revealed that they were, instead, diverted to other areas including markets, for sale,” he said.

“A team of operatives acting on the information immediately swung into action, and located shops where the materials were being sold. The Gombe State Fertilizer Grinding Plant where some of the materials were kept was also raided. A store keeper at the state’s emergency agency, Isa Garba, was subsequently arrested.

“Further investigations, led to the arrest of a staff of the state’s fertiliser grinding plant, Mu’azu Suleman KT.”

He added that the suspects would be charged to court, as soon as investigations were concluded.