DSS locks Appropriation Committee Office 

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Saturday, sealed the office of the Appropriation committee of the federal house of representatives.

This comes a day after former appropriation committee chairman, Hon Abdulmumuni Jibrin announced that he had lodged a report with the DSS.

Hon. Jibrin who left his former position in controversial circumstances a little over a week ago, has been locked in a war of words with Speaker Yakubu Dogara ever since, both sides trading accusations over padding of the 2016 budget.

The 39 year old Kan born former appropriation committee chairman has repeatedly accused Dogara of colluding with principal officers of the lower chambers of the National Assembly to alter provisions in the 2016 budget in order to allocate huge sums to themselves.

Jibrin also alleged that Dogara bribed members of the appropriation committee with the sum of $20,000 each to facilitate the falsification of figures and line items in the budget.

Both sides have expressed support for calls on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other agencies to probe the allegations.

In a bizarre turn of events during the week however, Jibrin accused the House Speaker of attempting to break into his office to cart away evidence against him. He alleged that a computer workstation containing files that could implicate Dogara was also removed from the Appropriation committee secretariat.

The Lawmaker has also variously accused the Speaker of sponsoring policemen to harass and intimidate him.

According to Premium Times, men of the DSS stormed the secretariat on Saturday, which serves as offices for the 40-member appropriation committee and its staff, and immediately placed it under lock and key.

Sources within the agency also revealed that the DSS sealed Jibrin’s office at Room 1.05 in the New House of Representatives building.

On Friday, members of the appropriation committee distanced themselves from Jibrin’s claims, stating that they neither received bribes nor padded the budget.