EFCC arraigns seven suspects in N46bn police pension fraud
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The re-arraignment signalled taking over of trial from Justice Abubakar Talba, who is facing a probe panel of the National Judicial Council [NJC] for passing alleged ridiculous sentence on the self-confessed pension thief, Mr. John Yakubu Yusuf. Others docked in the 18-count amended charge preferred by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] include a director, Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira and Mr. Christian Madubuike in the amended charge.
All the accused who entered a plea of not guilty, were allowed to continue with the earlier bail granted them by Justice Talba in whose court they were first arraigned. Even Mrs. Attang, who was a director at the Police Pension Office between 2007 and 2008 and who was being arraigned for the first time, also benefited from the decision. Attang, who was absent in court when others were first docked was in charge of funds when N7.8 billion was stolen through 10,863 cheques.
She was also discovered to have personally signed 1,042 cheques amounting to N1, 141,309,080.25. She alleged used several companies to defraud the pension office. Some of the companies which the prosecution claimed she used include Royal Diadem Business Logistics Limited; Amazing Grace Property Development Company; Enyiuzo Ventures Limited, Status Symbols Rentals Limited, Status Travels and Tours Limited; Quillponte and Anifon Nigeria Limited.
The EFCC has traced more than 20 assets to her which are currently under investigations. It was the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs [SAN], who urged the court to allow the accused to benefit from the earlier bail as well as the conditions attached to it. This, he explained, was in the interest of quick dispensation of justice. All the defence counsel agreed with his application and urged the court to grant it. In his ruling, Justice Baba said based on the consensus and understanding of both parties, the bail earlier granted, should continue on terms and conditions attached to it. He adjourned proceedings to June 3 and 4 for definite trial. However, there was drama outside the court’s premises when relatives of Mrs. Attang [sixth accused] attacked photojournalists for trying to take her pictures.
They engaged them in a free-for-all in an attempt to snatch their cameras. Some journalists who went to separate them were not spared by the sporadic blows from the invading relatives who were bent on beating them black and blue. They retreated when the attention of the court’s security was drawn to the ugly incident, vowing, however, to launch further attacks some other time. The Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Lawal Gummi, had recalled the case file from Justice Talba, who is facing a probe panel of the NJC for giving an option of fine to Yusuf.
This followed a petition by the EFCC to the Chief Judge that it feared Justice Talba might not dispense justice judicially and judiciously in the matter. The commission requested that the case be assigned to a new judge. Yusuf, an Assistant Director in the Police Pension Office, was sentenced to two years imprisonment for conspiring to steal about N23.3billion. But Justice Talba gave him an option of N250, 000 fine for each of the three counts, a development which received an outrage.
Yusuf was one of the six accused initially arraigned on a 20-count charge of criminal breach of trust slammed against them by the EFCC. The alleged offence is punishable under Sections 97, 115 (ii), 119, 309 and 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap. 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria 2007.
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