Yusuf Agabi, a former governorship aspirant in Nassarawa State under
>> the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been formally arraigned before
>> Justice Husseini Baba of the Federal Capital Territory.
>
The arraignment of the accused person with four others were earlier in the year
>> adjourned due to the absence of Agabi, who was on a lesser hajj to
>> Saudi Arabia.
>>
>> The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related
>> Offences Commission (ICPC), secured a leave to arraign Agabi
>> and four others for fraudulently obtaining the sum of N100million from the
>> Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and preffered a 46 count charge against them.
>>
>> When the charges were read out to them, the accussed persons pleaded
>> not guilty, upon which they sought for bail through a motion, filed by
>> their respective counsels.
>>
>> Justice Baba subsequently granted the accused persons bail in the sum
>> of N10million with one surety who must at least be a Deputy Director in
>> the federal civil service resident in Abuja.
>>
>> Yusuf Agabi while being a public officer as a Director of Finance at
>> the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, was alleged to have received for
>> himself the sum of N100million 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 seperate occassions in 2013, collected
>> a total sum N400million from Kabiru Paloma, the sum of N50million from
>> Daniel Obah and another sum of N8.9million 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 of receiving the sum of N25million at seperate
>> occassions and through a proxy, Kabiru Paloma as well as N6million and
>> N2million respectively from one Nuhu Gadu and Solomon Sunday Tom.
>>
>> The third accussed person, Ayinla Abibu was also alleged to have
>> receieved the sum of N60million through a proxy Zeocat Nig LTD, with
>> which he used to build a house at Ogbomosho, Oyo state for
>> himself.
>>
>> He was alleged to have received a total of N91.4million through a
>> proxy, Joykings Nig LTD.
>>
>> Idowu Adewale, a deputy director of accounts in the
>> ministry, was also said to have received the sum of $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 a total sum of
>> N10.25million from one Solomon Sunday Tom in March and October 2014.
>>
>> The arraignment of the accussed 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 unauthorized withdrawal of the
>> sum 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.
>>
>> The matter was adjourned to October 7, 2015 for hearing.
