EFCC to arraign Perm Sec, five others over N14.5bn pension scam

Posted by admin EFCC Politics Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will on Thursday (today) arraign six persons arrested in connection with the N14.5bn police pension fraud at an Abuja High Court.

The suspects – Esai Dangabar; a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Niger Delta, Atiku Abubakar Kigo; Ahmed Inuwa Wada; John Yakubu Yusufu; Veronica Uloma Onyegbula; and Sani Habila Zira – were arrested for conspiracy and breach of trust.

The spokesperson for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, who confirmed the development to our correspondent, said, “They are to be arraigned before an FCT High Court, Gudu, Abuja tomorrow (today) on 16 counts of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust in respect of the N14.5bn.”

A statement made available to THE PUNCH by the EFCC spokesman reads, “Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, John Yakubu Yusufu, Mrs. Veronica Uloma Onyegbula and Sani Habila Zira are to be arraigned before an FCT High Court in Gudu, Abuja tomorrow (Thursday) on 16 counts of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust in respect of the sum of N14,518,567,724.36.”

Reports had stated that the agency interrogated three Federal Government officials connected with police pensions two weeks ago.

The three unnamed civil servants had allegedly confessed to looting various sums from the pensions fund.

Kigo, a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service who had served in the Police Pensions Office, had been quizzed by the EFCC over a fresh N2bn fraud.

THE PUNCH learnt that incriminating documents were found during a search of the Permanent Secretary’s office.

He was arrested alongside seven other directors.

The Senate Joint Committee on the Investigation into the administration of the pensions scheme had during its one week of public hearing, received evidence on how civil servants falsified documents to siphon pensioners’ money.

The PRTT said a whopping N151.6bn and £6m were recovered after the conduct of biometric data capture exercise on pensioners since 2010.

Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, had told the committee that whereas N5bn was paid to the Office of the Head of Service monthly for the payment of pensions, only N1.9bn was actually required.

Also, it was discovered that out of the 141, 790 pensioners listed on the government’s payroll, only 70,657 bonafide pensioners existed.

Maina had also told the committee that the Police Pensions Office collected N5bn monthly as claims for its pensioners, while it actually needed N500m.

He said, “We discovered illegal withdrawals by staff of the Police Pensions Office using multiple cheques in fictitious names in excess of 30 cheques per day to withdraw cash from their bankers.

”Such illegal withdrawals amounted to N14bn. The PRTT, assisted by the law enforcement agencies, has made substantial recovery of the said stolen monies.

“An employee of the Police Pensions Office (name withheld) turned in N1bn cash. Another surrendered three luxury estates with about 27 blocks of deluxe flats he built in Abuja .”

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had also confirmed the fraud uncovered by the Maina-led task force on pensions.

However, Maina and his team were also accused of sharp practices by the Assistant Chief Accountant in the Police Pensions Office, Mr. Toyin Ishola.

But Maina had denied the allegations, saying Ishola presented forged documents to the Senate panel upon which he based his assumptions.

-Punchwp_posts