The Department of State Services (DSS) has purportedly arrested Abbas Masanawa, the CEO of Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending, NIRSAL.
Masanawa had been reportedly arrested for his perceived role in the ongoing corruption investigation of suspended CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, according to a news report by Peoples Gazette on Friday, August 18.
Peoples Gazette had disclosed that DSS informants had revealed that Mr Masanawa had been taken into custody about three weeks ago and has remained in detention while further investigations continued.
It was not quickly ascertained whether Masanawa had employed the services of lawyers to represent him in the case, as at the time of filing this report.
Masanawa’s arrest is apparently, tied to the activities documented during his leadership as the managing director of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, NSPMC.
He had also allegedly resigned from NSPMC (office) after it was announced that he was seeking a governorship election under the banner of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, while still in office as the nation’s printing and minting boss.
The NSPMC is a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) subsidiary responsible for printing and minting the Naira notes, coins and high-level security documents.
It is not known as to why President Tinubu endorsed Masanawa’s detention without first suspending him from office, especially as the current controversy has crippled NIRSAL’s ability to operate.
