IN TARGET OF G7 GOVERNORS...SSS BEGINS CRACK DOWN ON BANKS

The backlash against the G7 governors appears to have spread outside the political sphere with a crackdown on some Nigerian banks and their relationship with the affected state governments.
Daily Trust sources say a number of senior bank officials are being held by the State Security Service for the last one week in what one source said was an investigation into the funds being held by the banks on behalf of the states of Rivers, Adamawa, Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Niger and Kwara.
A source familiar with the crackdown said “the Federal Government is moving on G7 governors where they have money and so far many managers and account officers are being questioned.”
Another source familiar with the story told Daily Trust last night that at least 3 banks are affected in the current investigation.
Our investigation revealed that at least 5 officials of Fidelity Bank from its Abuja regional office as well as its Kano office have been in SSS detention since Thursday last week.
They include the bank’s Abuja Area Manager Hassan Imam and a deputy general manager in Kano whose name is simply given as Idris.
Officials of the bank could neither confirm nor deny that their officials are being held, but one source said that no Executive Director of the bank is among those detained by the SSS.
SSS spokesperson Marilyn Ogar could not be reached on phone for comments yesterday. A text message sent to her mobile phone was not replied to.
Jigawa State Information Commissioner Ibrahim Babandi Gumel, in response to a text message sent by our reporter, simply said: “The government is not aware of such incident.”
Officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) had been in Jigawa recently investigating the finances of local governments in the state.
Earlier in the week, Rivers state government officials told Daily Trust that they were not aware of investigation of the state’s finances.
The G7 governors are Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara).
They broke away and formed a faction of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in August, following irreconcilable differences with the party’s national chairman Bamanga Tukur who enjoys the backing of President Goodluck Jonathan. Efforts to reach a truce have so far failed.
Source: Daily Trust