Army Questions General Over Missing N400m

Army Confirms Case Of Stolen Money

The Nigerian Army has begun questioning Maj. Gen. Hakeem Otiki, its former General Officer Commanding of the 8 Division, Sokoto State, in connection with the N400m said to have been stolen by escort soldiers in the division.

It is understood that the former GOC is also under close monitoring and would be brought to Abuja after been cross-examined by the Directorate of Military Intelligence, the Special Intelligence Bureau and the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police.

Gen Okiti had reportedly in the first week of July, ordered some soldiers to escort a large sum of money from Sokoto to Kaduna states but five soldiers had been confirmed to have stolen the money and abandoning the service.

The money Naija News gathered, was to have been delivered to a Very Important Personality in Kaduna.

The army’s spokesman in 8 Division, Lieutenant Audu Arigu, had identified the runaway soldiers as Corporal Gabriel Oluwaniyi, Corporal Mohammed Aminu, one Corporal Haruna, Oluji Joshua and Hayatudeen, adding that investigation had commenced into the matter.

Army sources, quoted by Punch said on Sunday that the runaway soldiers turned in their rifles and abandoned their mobile phones at the Infantry Corps in Jaji, Kaduna State, before they escaped.

One of them said, “Investigations so far show that this is not the first time the escort soldiers have transported such a huge amount of money for the officer. The soldiers all left their mobile phones in the vehicle, which has made their tracking difficult.

“The former GOC is being quizzed. He will be in Sokoto State for now where he is expected to properly hand over to the new GOC and then he will be brought to Abuja for further investigation.”