Published 19th Mar, 2024

By Sodeeq Atanda

Lawal Ja’afar Isa, a retired brigadier-general, has been appointed chairman of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, per a statement from the presidency on Monday.

While the retired military man will chair the commission, Idris Muhammad Sani is to function as the executive secretary and chief executive officer of the commission established to combat illiteracy, promote skill acquisition and alleviate youth poverty, delinquency and destitution in Nigeria.

“President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of a new leadership for the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education,” the March 18 statement on the appointment read in part.

“Brigadier-General Lawal Ja’afar Isa (Rtd) is now to serve as the Chairman of the Board of the Commission, while Dr. Idris Muhammad Sani is to serve as the Executive Secretary/CEO.”

Isa allegedly participated in the mismanagement of the $2 billion meant for the acquisition of military software and hardware under the leadership of Sambo Dasuki, then the National Security Adviser (NSA).

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) went after people suspected to have participated in the fraud dubbed Dasukigate. Isa was one of them.

The anti-graft office arrested and detained him on January 11, 2016. After interrogation, he was conditionally released following the remittance of N100 million and an undertaking to return the balance of N70 million to complete the total amount traced to him, according to Premium Times.

“We let him go after returning the sum of N100 million,” the newspaper quoted an insider source as saying. “We are expecting him to return the rest soon. We offered them the chance of returning the money honorably but they keep deploying tactics to avoid prosecution, while also going away with the loot.”

In December of the same year, The PUNCH reported that a source confirmed Isa had returned the balance. “I can confirm to you that Jafaru Isa has returned the balance of N70m to the Federal Government’s purse. This brings the total amount of money he has returned to N170m.”

An associate of the former NSA said Isa received over N100 million into his account in batches to help Dasuki acquire a house on Mohammed Mohammed Avenue, Kano.

The transaction did not scale through because Dasuki failed to complete the payment. Yarima Ngama, then the minister of finance, later allegedly offered to acquire the property for N150 million from the owner.

An ally of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Isa was a member of Buhari’s presidential transition committee in 2015.

Share on Social Media