Immigration Recruitment Scam: Ex-Interior Minister, Moro, 4 Others Remanded in Prison
Taiwo Owoeye
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday arraigned a former Interior Minister, Abba Moro and four others before Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja on an 11-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence, procurement fraud and money laundering.
A release by EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren stated that the other accused persons are: Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia; a deputy director in the ministry, F. O Alayebami; one Mahmood Ahmadu (at large), and the firm that handled the recruitment exercise, Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited.
They were alleged to have defrauded a total of 675,675 Nigerian job applicants to the tune of N675, 675,000 representing N1000 per applicant through e-payment for their online recruitment exercise into the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, on March 17, 2013, an exercise which was carried out in a negligent manner and led to the death of about 20 applicants in various recruitment centres across the country.
The contract said to have been awarded to Drexel Global Tech Limited for the provision of online enlistment and recruitment was carried out through selective tendering procedure by inviting four (4) firms without seeking the approval of Bureau for Public Procurement, BPP, contrary to Section 40 of the Public Procurement Act, No.65 of 2007, and punishable under Section 58 of the same Act.
It was stated further that Drexel Global Tech Limited is said to be unregistered, and lacked the legal capacity to enter into the said contract.
One of the accused, Mahmood Ahmadu, who is at large, allegedly connived with Drexel Global Tech Ltd to launder N423, 800, 000, part of the total sum obtained from the applicants, in the following manner: N202,500,000 to purchase a property in a choice area of Abuja; N120,100,000 to upgrade yet another property in the FCT and N101, 200, 000 converted to United States Dollars for personal use.
One of the counts reads
“That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, F.O Alayebami, Mahmood Ahmadu (at large) and Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd on or about the 17th of March 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud conspired to induce a total number of 676,675 Nigerian job applicants seeking employment with Nigerian Immigration Service to deliver property to wit: cumulative sum of N676,675,000 which sum represents the sum of N1,000 per applicant under the false pretence that the money represents payment for their online recruitment exercise into Nigerian Immigration Service and which pretence you knew was false, contrary to Section 8 and 1(1) (b) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2006.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts preferred against them.
Upon their plea, counsel to EFCC, Aliyu M. Yusuf urged the court to fix a date for the prosecution to open its case and remand the accused persons in prison custody pending trial.
However, counsel to the second defendant, Christopher Uche,SAN, urged the court to allow the second defendant, Nwobia, a nursing mother and former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Interior, continue with the administrative bail earlier granted her by the EFCC.
Justice Chikere ruled that the administrative bail for the second defendant would continue until pending motions are taken.
However, the judge ordered the 1st and 3rd defendants (Moro and Alayebami) to be remanded in prison custody pending trial.
The case has been adjourned to March 2, 2016 for trial.
