Yesterday, Monday, September 14, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives had an 8-hour banter with former Comptroller-General of Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) Mr. David Paradang.
The Nation reports that Paradang was quizzed over the whereabouts of the N650million fees gotten from job seekers last year. This probe is coming barely three weeks after President Buhari removed Paradang from office over an alleged illegal recruitment of over 1,000 officers in May.
According to calculations, about 6.5million Nigerians applied for 5,000 spaces and each applicant paid N1000. Sadly, the conduct of the test in March, 2014 led to the death of 15 applicants with many injured in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Minna. The immediate past Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, had pointed accusing fingers at the former Comptroller-General for the sad incidents, while some loyals in Parradang’s camp claimed Moro and his business partners are to be blamed.
A source told The Nation anonymously, the blow-by-blow details of what transpired during the 8-hour probe yesterday. He said:“The ex-Comptroller-General came to the EFCC headquarters at about 10am and as at 6pm, he was yet to leave. Upon arrival, he was ushered into an office to meet with a team of investigators, who insisted on a written statement.
Paradang was invited by the EFCC to explain the circumstances behind the fees charged, the law backing it, the account where the money was paid into, what the cash was used for and the balance. This is just the first step in the ongoing probe of the jobs scandal. We are going to invite officials of the Ministry of Interior and the Prison and Immigration Board and the company engaged for the recruitment. A verification of the company is already done at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). We may also interact with Abba Moro if it becomes expedient to do so. But at present, we are grilling Paradang.”The source added: “We did not receive any petition from any person or group. This commission went into the case on merit.We have been on it for a while.”
The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed that Paradang appeared before a team following the ongoing investigation into last year’s immigration recruitment scandal .
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