The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained the reason for making use of Halal Fountain Hotel (Annex), situated at No. 29A, Rabah Road, Kaduna, reportedly seized from Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd), former National Security Adviser.
Daily Trust had reported how the hotel that has been under investigation in connection with the $2.1bn arms scandal involving the former NSA, has become a temporary home for some EFCC cadets and officials.
The EFCC Zonal Head in Kaduna, Sanusi Abdullahi, who confirmed that the facility is presently being used by officials of the agency, said staff on transfer to Kaduna use the facility as a transit camp.
He said he also benefited from the use of the facility when he was newly transferred to Kaduna.
A group known as Badarawa Concerned Youths had claimed that: “The facilities in the premises, including television sets in the rooms have disappeared into thin air.”
But Abdullahi said it was not true that some items including television sets were missing from the hotel.
He added that the EFCC has done a lot of maintenance work to ensure the hotel did not fall apart.
The zonal head said the commission had taken inventory of all items in the hotel with pictures to show the state of the facility when it was temporarily forfeited to it.
Our correspondents could not independently verify if items were missing as they were denied access to the hotel rooms.
However, since the gate was open, our correspondents sighted a vehicle and a motorcycle while a man who did not identify himself told Daily Trust that the hotel was under investigation and therefore, not open to the public.
He also confirmed that EFCC cadets were lodging at the time of the visit, saying it was a temporary arrangement before they sorted out their accommodations.
“Cadets who have passed out from the EFCC camp use this place; the people you see coming into this place are EFCC staff. They stay here temporarily before they get accommodation and move to their permanent abodes,” he said.
