The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Abbas Umar Masanawa, the chief executive officer of Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), for his alleged role in the ongoing corruption probe of Godwin Emefiele, the ousted governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
According to some DSS insiders, Masanawa was taken into custody three weeks ago and has remained there while an investigation into the allegation is underway.
Masanawa’s arrest stemmed from his role as the managing director of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC).
He resigned from NSPMC after it was reported that he was seeking a governorship election as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) while still in office as the firm’s boss.
The NSPMC, a subsidiary of the CBN, is responsible for printing and minting the nation’s currency notes, coins and high-level security documents.
The DSS insider, who spoke only on conditions of anonymity, said:
“He was conspiring with Godwin Emefiele to loot the printing and minting agency. We are still tracing billions they stole.”
