Nigeria's ex-secret police chief arrested

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency on Thursday arrested the country's former secret police chief over alleged mismanagement of $47 million in public funds allocated to the preeminent intelligence organization, according to local media reports.

Ita Ekpeyong was arrested at his home in Abuja, the West African country's capital, by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the government launched a fresh probe into the activities of the agency.

The arrest followed an hours-long raid on his residence and appears to be immediate fallout from Tuesday's sacking of Lawal Daura, Ekpenyong’s successor.

Daura last year stonewalled an initial attempt to arrest Ekpenyong for questioning, sparking inter-agency tension between the secret police and the anti-graft body.

In April 2017, commission operatives found a huge stash of cash warehoused in an apartment allegedly owned by Ekpenyong’s wife. The former secret police chief later said the apartment was used as a safe house for funds meant for some classified operations of the secret service.

The fund has been forfeited to the Nigerian government.