SSS Raids CCB Chairman's Residence In Abuja

Operatives of the De­partment of State Security Services (DSS) on Sunday morning invaded the Abuja home of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Mr. Sam Saba, sources said.

Although officials of the DSS were not forthcoming on the incident last night, credible sources said that the operatives stormed the Aso Drive, Abuja residence of Saba in the early hours of Sunday.

It was gathered that DSS operatives conducted a thorough search on Saba’s home and the action may not be unconnected with allegations that funds meant for the completion of the CCB permanent head office were diverted under his leadership.

According to The AUTHOR­ITY, the DSS action was also linked to petitions from sev­eral quarters against the management style adopted by Saba and the CCB Board.

When The AUTHORITY contacted the Special Assistant to the CCB Chairman, Mr. S.P. Gwimi, on the said invasion of Saba’s home, he said he was not aware of it because he had been out of Abuja.

Gwimi, who said that he was just entering the Federal Capital Territory, asked that we call back after an hour. But when a call was put to his phone after an hour, Gwimi did not pick the call. He also declined to respond to a text message sent to him.

Before the DSS’ search, Saba had been having a run­ning battle with some top per­sonnel of the bureau over the way he reportedly runs the af­fairs of the CCB.

Recently, a top official, who was sacked a year ago by the board on alleged corrup­tion charges, petitioned the bureau over the termination of his appointment.

In the petition, the offi­cial had claimed that Mr. Saba, in collaboration with his board members, allocated to them­selves roles meant for core of­ficials of the bureau – in at­tempts to pervert the course of justice.

Other aggrieved stake­holders within and outside the CCB have also accused Saba of diverting funds meant for the building of a permanent secre­tariat for the agency. CCB still operates from a section of the building located in the complex housing the office of the Head of Service of the Federation (HoSF).

The CCB handles cases of politicians and public servants with false declaration of assets.

Source said it was due to the lack of transparency in the CCB that the EFCC took over the prosecution of the embattled senate president, Bukola Saraki who is now standing trial at the CCT.