N32.8bn pension scam: Accused beg court to quash charge

[MrVan]

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA — The six civil servants accused of complicity in the illegal diversion of N32.8 billion from the Nigeria Police Pension funds, yesterday, approached an Abuja High Court at Gudu, begging it to quash the 16-count criminal charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,

Those on trial are a Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Atiku Abubakar Kigo; Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, John Yakubu Yusufu, Mrs Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula and Sani Habila Zira.

Justice Abubakar Thalba had on March 29 remanded them in prison custody shortly after they pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Though the court subsequently granted them bail on April 3 after they deposited N10 million each, as well as produced two persons on Grade Level 14 in the civil service that stood surety for each of them, the accused persons, urged the court to discontinue further hearing on the matter.

Thalba, who earlier ordered EFCC to produce its witnesses in court for full-blown hearing to commence in the case, yesterday adjourned the matter till June 25.

Specifically, the accused persons are contending that the EFCC failed to either establish strong prima-facie evidence capable of warranting their prosecution, or show the nexus between them and the alleged scam.

EFCC had alleged that the accused persons conspired and sequentially withdrew monies from Police Pension funds in an account domiciled at FirstBank of Nigeria and shared it among themselves, adding that the 3rd accused person, Inuwa Wada, collected N18 million from Unity Bank Plc as his reward for retaining the Police Pension Account with the bank.

The commission maintained that the fraud was perpetuated between January 2009 and June 2011.

According to the EFCC, their offence which bothers on conspiracy, fraud and criminal breach of trust, is punishable under sections 97, 315, 115(ii), 119 and 309, of the Penal Code Act Cap. 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria 2007.

Some of the charge against them read: "That you Esai Abubakar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, John Yakubu Yusufu, Atiku Abubakr Kigo, Mrs Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula and Sani Habila Zira, between January 2009 and June 2011 at Abuja Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory agreed to do an illegal act, to wit: criminal breach of trust by public officers in respect of the sum of N14,518,567,724.36 (Fourteen Billion, Five Hundred and Eighteen Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Seven Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twenty Four Naira and Thirty Six Kobo) and that the same act was done in pursuance of the agreement among you and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code Cap. 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja , Nigeria 2007".

"That you Esai Dangabar, John Yakubu Yusufu, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula and Sani Habila Zira, between January and December 2009 at Abuja in the Abuja Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being public officers in the service of the government of the Federation and in such capacity entrusted with certain property, to wit: the sum of N8,920,371,822.24 (Eight Billion, Nine Hundred and Twenty Million, Three Hundred and Seventy One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Twenty Two Naira and Twenty Four Kobo)which sum formed part of Nigeria Police Pension funds in the account domiciled at the First Bank of Nigeria Plc, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap. 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria 2007".

"That you Atiku Abubakar Kigo, John Yakubu Yusufu, Mrs. Veronica Uloma Onyegbula and Sani Habila Zira, between January 2010 and February 2011 at Abuja in the Abuja Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being public officers in the service of the Government of the Federal Government and in such capacity entrusted with certain property, to wit: the sum of N4, 739,894.896.06 ( Four Billion, Seven Hundred and Thirty Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Ninety Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Ninety Six Naira and Six Kobo) which sum formed part of the Nigerian Police Pension funds in the account domiciled at the First Bank of Nigeria Plc, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 315 of the Penal Code Act. Cap. 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja , Nigeria 2007."

Vanguard Nigeria