N12bn pension scam: EFCC arraigns ex-director, 5 others

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Monday, arraigned a former Director of the Pensions Department, office of the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Sani Teidi Shuaibu, alongside five other persons, following the alleged roles they played in the illegal diversion of N12 billion from government coffers through fictitious contract claims.

Others who  took turns Monday to plead ‘not guilty’ to a 134- count criminal charge bordering on corruption, abuse of office and advance fee fraud, were former Deputy to the pension boss, Mrs. Phina Chidi, his personal assistant, Aliyu Bello, Abdullahi Omeiza, Garba Abdullahi Tahir and Emmanuel Olanipekun.

The anti-graft agency insisted that they conspired and swindled the federal government through over 130 bogus contracts purportedly awarded to 25 different companies, adding that the alleged scam was perpetrated between 2008 and 2010.

EFCC went ahead and listed 26 companies that participated in the alleged fraud as defendants in the case, just as it yesterday discharged one of the earlier accused persons, Mohammed Katun Ahmed, who it said has agreed to testify as a prosecution witness in the matter.

Having pleaded not guilty to all the 134-count charges, counsels to the accused persons, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, and S.I Ameh, SAN, pleaded the trial court to grant them bail on liberal terms, contending that not only are still in the civil service, but that never abused the administrative bail that was granted to them ab-initio by the anti-graft agency.

However counsel to the EFCC, Mr Godwin Obla, while conceding to their bail application, urged the court to stipulate conditions that would secure the availability of all the accused persons for trial.

Consequently, trial Justice Adamu Bello granted bail to the accused persons in the sum of N10 million each, adding that they should produce an owner of landed property within the jurisdiction of the court to stand surety for each of them in like sum.

The judge further ordered the sureties to surrender the title deeds of the said property to the court registrar for scrutiny, just as he equally ordered all the accused persons to hand over their travelling documents to the Chief Registrar of the court.

Before adjourning the matter to June 30 for hearing, the presiding judge directed that all the accused persons must report to the EFCC head office every Monday of the week pending the conclusion of investigations into the matter, stressing that they should be remanded in prison custody if the bail conditions were not met to the later.

Some of the companies listed in the charge sheet filed in court by EFCC were, Zumba Resources, Lopee Ventures, Gozinda Enterprises, Bashinta Nigeria Ltd, Obista Enterprises, Shallo Well Ventures, Redwing Energy Limited, among others.

Count one of the charge against them reads, “That you, Dr Shaibu Teidi, Phina Ukamaka Chidi and Computer Plaza, Essential Gadgets Ventures, Mobis Point Investment Limited, Obista Enterprises and Shallow Well Ventures at various times between 2008 and 2010 within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, conspired among yourselves to induce the Pensions Department, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation of Nigeria to deliver to you various sums in the aggregate of N176,910,650 (One Hundred and Seventy Six Million, Nine Hundred and Ten Thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty Naira) property vide medium of a contract induced by false pretences, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006”.