A cash sum of $9 million (N2.75 billion) has allegedly been found at the Abuja residence of the Paul Tarelah Boroh, a retired Brigadier-general who was last week sacked as Special Adviser on Niger Delta to the President.

The discovery was made in the early hours of Tuesday, following his arrest by a joint team of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

His arrest was confirmed by by Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity.

A senior security agent also told the newspaper that Boroh was picked up from his home in Gwarimpa, Abuja, on Monday, but was taken back at about 3 a.m. on Tuesday by the security operatives, who then raided his house for hours and made the cash discovery of $9 million.

“The former adviser was driven to his home in an unmarked car after his arrest. His home was searched for several hours and about $9 million cash was discovered in several safe boxes in several parts of the house,” said the source.

“The combined team of EFCC and the National Security Adviser’s operatives were very thorough with the search. Indeed, at a point, they broke all the locks in the home, including his wife’s closet. The recovered cash has been deposited at the Office of the NSA.”

Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari relieved Boroh as Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme for former Niger Delta militants, and approved the appointment of Charles Quaker Dokubo, a professor, as replacement.

A statement released by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, announcing Boroh’s sack also contained the President’s directive for Babagana Monguno, National Security Adviser, to fully investigate the amnesty office’s activities from 2015 when Boroh was appointed till date, citing “allegations of financial impropriety and other acts that are allegedly detrimental to the objectives of the Presidential Amnesty”.

This directive is believed to have been triggered by a petition sent to the President in August.

In the petition, signed by one Timi Angalabiri on behalf of the Niger Deltans for Accountability and Good Governance (NDAGG), the President was urged to suspend the ex-Amnesty Programme boss “for a credible investigative inquiry to commence into the non-payment of tuition fees and living expenses of recently graduated Niger Delta students in universities across the United States, the United Kingdom and Nigeria, with many institutions withholding the students’ certificates due to the non-payment of tuition fees ranging from nine months to two years, despite receiving over N70 billion within this time frame”.

Meanwhile, members of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers and other militant groups have threatened to attack oil installations in the Niger Delta if Boroh is not reinstated within four weeks.