OPERATIVES of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have detained a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Bashir Jamoh.
Sources revealed that Jamoh, who headed NIMASA between 2020 and 2023, was still in ICPC custody as of yesterday night.
He was reportedly arrested after failing to honour several invitations from the commission over petitions submitted against him.
According to one of the sources, the petitions allege that Jamoh abused his office by conferring undue advantage on himself through fraudulent procurement processes.
The source said the ICPC decided to pick him up following repeated unsuccessful attempts to get him to respond to its summons.
Confirming the development, the ICPC spokesperson, John Odey, said Jamoh had been arrested but declined to provide details of the allegations, noting that he would give further information when available.
Jamoh had previously been linked to a N1.5 trillion fraud allegation in 2021, after a whistleblower accused him of diverting public funds.
At the time, Jamoh wrote to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), requesting a thorough investigation to clear his name.
Investigations, however, revealed that the EFCC did not take significant action on the allegation.
NIMASA is the federal agency responsible for regulating Nigeria’s maritime industry, with a mandate covering maritime safety and security, development of the sector, environmental protection and enforcement of maritime laws.
