Yusuf Agabi, a former governorship aspirant in Nassarawa State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, and Ntu Ngozi on Thursday avoided their arraignment before Justice Husseini Baba of the Federal Capital Territory, High Court 4.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission having secured a leave to arraign Agabi and four others for fraudulently obtaining N605 million from the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, preferred a 46 count charge against the accused persons.
Agabi could not produce himself in court Thursday as he was said to have travelled for the lesser hajj after being served summons by the ICPC prosecuting counsel, Paul Bassi.
The fifth accused was also said to have travelled to her village.
As such, the prosecuting counsel sought the court for a short adjournment for the accused persons to be produced in court for their arraignment.
Rotimi Ojo, counsel to the second, third and fourth accused persons, who were present in court, did not object to the relief sought by the prosecution.
Ojo rather urged the court to allow the accused persons continue to enjoy the administrative bail granted them by ICPC till they are arraigned.
Justice Baba, the trial judge, subsequently granted the prayers as sought and adjourned the matter to September 16 2015 for arraignment of the accused persons.
Agabi, in the charge sheet, while being a public officer as a Director of Finance at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, was alleged to have received for himself N100 million belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria from one Kabiru Paloma, knowing same to have been obtained fraudulently from the bank account of the Ministry, an offence contrary to Section 13 and punishable under section 68 of the Corrupt Practices Act 2000.
He was also alleged to have on separate occasions in 2013 collected N400 million from Kabiru Paloma, N50 million from Daniel Obah and N8.9 million from Babadoko Mohammed, obtained fraudulently from the accounts of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
Akpore Okeroghene, who was a Deputy Director of Finance at the ministry, was also accused on receiving N25 million at separate occasions and through a proxy, Kabiru Paloma, as well as N6 million and N2 million respectively from one Nuhu Gadu and Solomon Sunday Tom.
The third accused person, Ayinla Abibu, was also alleged to have received N60 million through a proxy, Zeocat Nigeria Limited, with which he built a house at Ogbomosho, Oyo State for himself.
Abibu was alleged to have received N91.4 million through a proxy, Joykings Nigeria Limited.
Idowu Adewale, a Deputy Director of accounts in the Ministry, was also said to have received $100,000 from Kabiru Paloma as well as using documents to wit: payment vouchers of the ministry, which were defective in material particular and designed to mislead his principal for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining various sums of money from his principal.
Ntu Ngozi, Deputy Director (Accounts), also received N10.25 million from one Solomon Sunday Tom in March and October 2014.
The arraignment of the accused persons follows a petition written to the Chairman of the ICPC from the office of the Permanent Secretary from the ministry titled “case of an unauthorised withdrawal of N605,073,540.00 from the ministry of Niger Delta affairs’ 2014
constituency project account with Central Bank of Nigeria, Abuja”, upon which investigation was commenced and the leakages unravelled.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
