EFCC storms NAMA, quizzes MD, ransacks account, procurement units over fraud

The headquarters and annex offices of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, were yesterday shut down for many hours by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged corrupt practices. Two major departments in the agency; accounts and procurement units were combed totally by the officials of EFCC. Also, our correspondent gathered that the Managing Director of NAMA, Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam and some General Managers were equally quizzed by the personnel of the anti-graft agency.
Our correspondent gathered that the EFCC had stormed the headquarters as early as 10am, ransacked the entire office of the Managing Director before moving to the annex office to continue their search. As at the time of sending this report at 5pm, the officers of the operatives were still in NAMA, but at the annex office. A source close to the agency confided in our correspondent that the personnel of EFCC used their vehicles as barricade to block other cars and staff from exiting or entering the premises. As at the time of filing this report, there was no official reason why the anti- graft personnel stormed the agency abruptly. But sources hinted that it might not be unconnected with the petition written against the management by industry unions.
The unions had alleged that several frauds had been ongoing in the system in the past few years. This visit, our source gathered, had heightened anxiety among some senior staff in the agency. It would be recalled that some stakeholders and professionals in the country’s aviation industry had called on EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to visit the agencies, claiming that several unwholesome practices were going on in the parastatals. Another source informed our correspondent that the Ministry of Aviation was aware of the anti-graft agency’s visit to NAMA, adding that other agencies may be visited in the next couple of weeks.