GRASS CUTTING SCAM: EFCC ARRESTS FORMER SGF, BABACHIR LAWAL

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) on Wednesday arrested former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal.

Acting Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr Samin Amaddin confirmed the arrest. Babachair who was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari is being investigated for alleged N223 million grass cutting fraud.

According to the EFCC the former SGF is cooperating with investigators and has made useful statements. Lawal arrived at the Abuja office of the EFCC at 11:00 am yesterday, after which he was detained.

Lawal’s travails began December 14, 2016, when the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on humanitarian crisis in the North East’ indicted him in a grass-cutting contract awarded to his company, for the clearing of “invasive plant species” in Yobe State, through the Presidential Initiative on Northeast (PINE).

The Senate ad-hoc committee said Lawal allegedly spent N570 million to cut grass.