A former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, was on Monday arraigned over the 2014 failed Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment.
Moro was arraigned before Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC filed an 11-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence, procurement fraud and money laundering against the ex-minister.
The botched recruitment, in which over 20 Nigerians died across the federation, took place on March 15, 2014.
Others arraigned alongside Moro were the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry at the time, Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia; a Deputy Director in the ministry, F. O Alayebami; one Mahmood Ahmadu, said to be at large; and the contracting firm given the recruitment job, Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited.
They were accused of defrauding 676,675 Nigerian applicants of N676.675 million.
Each applicant was charged N1,000 to participate in the recruitment.
The accused were charged with flouting the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 in the award of the contract for the organisation of the recruitment test to Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited.
The EFCC said Drexel EFCC had no prior advertisement and no needs assessment and procurement plan was carried out before the contract was awarded.
According to the anti-graft agency, the contract was awarded through selective tendering procedure by invitation of four firms without seeking the approval of the Bureau for Public Procurement, contrary to sections 40, 42 and 43 of the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 and punishable under section 58 of the same act.
Drexel is also alleged to be unregistered and had no legal capacity to enter into the said contract.
There is also said to be no budgetary provision for the exercise in the 2014 Federal Capital budget hence the applicants were made to bear the responsibility of funding the project without approval of the Board contrary to section 22(5) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000, the charge said.
Justice Chikere ordered that the former minister should be remanded in Kuje prison, Abuja, while Daniel-Nwobia was released on administrative bail.
The judge adjourned the case to March 2 for hearing of Moro’s bail application.
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