The operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), Abbas Umar Masanawa.
Masanawa was reportedly arrested by the state security operatives over his alleged role in the ongoing corruption allegation probe involving the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
According to a security source, Masanawa’s arrest stems from his role while in office as the Managing Director, MD, of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC).
“He was conspiring with Godwin Emefiele to loot the printing and minting agency. We are still tracing billions they stole,” the source is quoted as saying.
Masanawa quit his job at the NSPMC after failing to clinch the number one seat in Nasarawa state under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, while still in office as head of the NSPMC, a subsidiary of the CBN in charge of printing and minting the nation’s currency notes, coins, and high-level security documents.
Although details of why his arrest was approved is not available, it may not be unconnected to findings of the recently appointed anti-graft body, headed by Jim Obazee, to probe the CBN and other federal agencies.
The body has already teed off its job by beaming the searchlight into the activities of all relevant agencies identified as haven connived with the CBN and its sprawling parastatals.
Masanawa, who served as special adviser to Emefiele and steadily moved up the ladder to become the executive director of the NSPMC, is apparently a subject of interest.
Following the sack of former NIRSAL Boss, Aliyu Abdulhameed, over corruption allegation, Masanawa got Emiefele’s nod to head the agency after failing to clinch the Nasarawa governorship ticket.
