•Col Abubakar Umar (retd) Photo: Sun News Publishing

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In its bid to ensure that a credible person takes over the affairs of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following the recommendation that Mallam Nuhu Ribadu proceeds on a course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), the Presidency has tipped former Kaduna State military governor, Col Abubakar Umar (retd) to take over the anti-graft agency. However, the police hierarchy had recommended Police Commissioner Olayinka Balogun of Special Fraud Unit, in Lagos for the job.

Daily Sun gathered that the Presidency had approached Col Umar to take over the EFCC in order to deflate the criticism and allay the fear that the anti-corruption war would be watered down after the exit of Ribadu.

It was gathered that Umar was penciled down because of his radical posture and consistency in criticizing ills in the society and in government. It was believed that his introduction would raise the confidence of Nigerians that the Umar Yar’Adua’s government takes the fight against corruption seriously.
Col Umar is a known critic of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whose eight-year rule he consistently condemned.

While the agents of the Presidency are discussing with Umar, the name of CP Balogun is already on the table of President Yar’Adua. Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro was said to have recommended Balogun when Yar’Adua authorized him to write Ribadu to proceed to NIPPS.

Meanwhile, Ribadu made effort to reach out to President Yar’Adua at the weekend to lobby to retain his job at the EFCC. This effort however failed as Yar’Adua was away to attend a wedding ceremony outside Abuja when he called at the residential villa, Abuja.
In a related development, the battle line appears to have been drawn between top officials of the EFCC and Police authorities in Abuja, following Federal Government’s decision to send Ribadu on a one-year course at NIPSS.

Indications that the war could get messy this week came at the weekend when top shots of the EFCC met and agreed to dig up whatever dirty things they could find on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro. Such information, when got, it was gathered, would be leaked to the press to pay the IG back for his role in Ribadu’s removal.

Daily Sun learnt that the team of investigators, on the Okiro project is led by a top Ribadu loyalist simply identified as Baba Kura, who also attended the meeting.
Senior officers in the Nigeria Police, who spoke with Daily Sun on the condition of anonymity however, said that Ribadu and his men are chasing shadows, stressing that they are scared of being probed.
Asked if there is anything to probe Ribadu for, one of the officers said the EFCC chairman needed to explain where he got the N200 million to buy the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) house that was used by the retired Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero.

A top police officer however, told Daily Sun that there was no need for Ribadu to put up a fight against Okiro over the NIPPS course.
He said: “Ribadu joined the force in 1988 and now he’s an Assistant Inspector General of Police, while some of his colleagues who performed better than him at the police college are still chief superintendent of police, that’s four steps below him.

“We need to put the whole issue in proper perspective and shun sentiments. Let this man go and do the mandatory course, and let him write research papers as it is required for officers who are being trained for leadership positions. The police are a disciplined organization. He’s due for a course, let him go for it and stop making trouble.”

At the weekend, there were allegations that Ribadu’s men are moving out some files containing petitions against former President Olusegun Obasanjo to prevent the new EFCC boss from starting an investigation.