Nigeria: Ex-ministers arrested in aviation graft probe

(SomaliNet) Two former ministers were arrested amidst a probe into massive graft in Nigeria\'s aviation industry, an official said.

\"Former aviation ministers Babalola Borishade and Femi Fani-Kayode were arrested on Tuesday,\" Femi Babafemi, spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), said.

Babafemi said the ex-Nigerian ministers would be charged by Wednesday, he said, adding that Rowland Iyayi, the former managing director of Nigeria\'s federal aviation agency, had also been arrested.

Georg Eider, the head of an Austrian firm upgrading facilities at Nigerian airports, was arrested after giving evidence to the parliamentary probe last week.

Eider faces charges of \"misappropriation\" and \"forgery\" after being accused of signing false telecoms contracts worth over six billion naira (about R406-million) with Borishade.Eider has been remanded in custody till July 14.

The probe is the latest in a series into president Olusegun Obasanjo\'s eight years in power up until 2007, particularly into how he managed Nigeria\'s oil billions.-AFP