Following Thursday`s arrest of Anyim Pius Anyim, more details on the reason for his arrest has emerged. Per EFCC sources, Mr. Anyim in being questioned over false assets declaration, receiving N520m from the Office of the National Security Adviser just before the 2015 general elections, using proxies and companies in which he had interest to corner contracts from the Ecological Fund,NDDC projects and the Centenary Project.
Investigators told that within two years, the former SGF allegedly laundered over N13billion out of N58, 146,983,677.85 in the Ecological Fund account and used some of the monies to build a 297-bed hotel.
According to investigators, Mr. Anyim used 15 companies which he had interest in to obtain contracts and laundered proceeds of the ecological funds. Some of companies which he allegedly used as fronts are Foundation Years Limited, Precious Integrated, Precious Petroleum, Mak & Mak, Chap Construction, Eldyke Engineering, Pryke Limited, Chipa Nigeria Limited, Prima A11 Limited, Pima International, Chanto Engineering, Ishiagu Microfinance Bank, Mulak Ventures, Vitro Engineering and Tip Top Nigeria.
Per EFCC sources, from May 2012 to May 2015, the SGF Ecological Fund Account with the Central Bank of Nigeria received an inflow of N58,146,983,677.85. From this fund, three of the aforementioned companies (Foundation Years, Obis Associate and Eldyke Engineering) received contracts worth over N13billion. Foundation Years alone received a net payment of N10,308,017,838.85 between 2014 and 2015.
Adding that on receiving the fund, Foundation Years and another Anyim’s company, Br-Kthru, made several transfers to 37 entities. Some of the organizations and individuals have no nexus at all with ecological issues. Investigators are probing the reasons behind the wild disbursement.
Mr. Anyim was arrested after he rebuffed invitations by the anti-graft agency and a warrant of arrest was obtained and searches conducted at his residence.
