DSS clears Saraki of N310 million ownership

As the controversy over the ownership of N310 million allegedly stolen from the Maitama home of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki gathers storm, the Department of State Service, DSS, yesterday cleared him of any culpability.

The DSS said the cash did not belong to Saraki or any member of the National Assembly and accused its dismissed staff, who is now standing trial for armed robbery, Abdulrasheed Maigari, of trying to fabricate a lie for a hidden motive.

It will be recalled that Maigari, a former DSS operative, had said that he and others connived to steal the huge cash from the Senate President’s home when they were working as security operatives in his house.

But a top DSS source told newsmen last night that the facts emanating from its investigations did not support the claims by Maigari and should be ignored. The DSS said, “The story making the rounds that the N310 million belonging to the Senate President was stolen in 2015 is a malicious falsehood.

From our investigation, the money in question did not belong to the senate President or any member of the National Assembly for that matter. ”The investigation conducted by the DSS and the confessional statement made by Abdulrasheed Maigari, a suspect in the case, did not support this claim at all.

”Maigari’s recent claim in the media is nothing but a made up story to achieve a hidden motive. The fact that Maigari, who is currently standing trial for an armed robbery case, could make up such a false claim is a further indication of how criminally minded he is.” Apparently to prove his innocence in the matter, Saraki had earlier in the day distanced himself from the said money, claiming that the money was not stolen from his house but from a bureau de change.

The Senate President in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sani Onogu, said he did not have military personnel among his security details, describing the story as an ”April fool stuff.”