EFCC arraigns former head of service, Oronsaye, for allegedly ‘stealing’ N1.9 bn

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned Stephen Oronsaye, former head of service, before Gabriel Kolawole, justice of the federal high court in Abuja.

Oronsaye (pictured with Jonathan), who was arraigned on a 24-count‎ charge of stealing and obtaining by false pretense, was arrested by the EFCC last Wednesday.

He is accused of awarding a contract worth N63 million to Innovative Solutions and Project Limited, a company he allegedly chose without due process, for biometric data capture. According to the EFCC, the contract served as a means by which three individuals and five companies got more than N700 million.

Based on the charges, the companies, which had no contract to participate in the biometric data capture exercise but were paid, include Frederick Hamilton Global Services Limited, which received about N119 million; Xangee Technologies, about N153 million; Fatidek Venture at leastN30 million, and Obanlado Enterprises, about N96 million‎.

Before Justice‎ Kolawole took the plea of the accused person, he warned against the peddling of rumours, stating that Oronsaye was “officially” known to him. “I abhor rumour mongering. Oronsaye is known to me just as Ibrahim Lamorde of the EFCC is known to me,” he said.

“I don’t know where he lives and he doesn’t know where I live. If anyone feels I can’t be impartial in this case, let them say so I can disqualify myself and return the file to the chief justice.”

Aliyu Yusuf, counsel to the EFCC, stated that his client was comfortable with the judge handling the case. Also, Kanu Agabi, counsel to Oronsaye, who leads about 20 lawyers in the case, said he‎ had no objection.

EFCC arraigns former head of service, Oronsaye, for allegedly ‘stealing’ N1.9 bn

Nigerian Army Dismisses Diversion Of Peacekeeping Funds Claim

The Nigerian Army has denied the diversion of $43m meant for the settlement of officers and men on peace-keeping missions by some army generals.

The army made the clarification in reaction to an online media claim that the amount, which has been set aside for peace-keeping had been pocketed by the unnamed generals in the Nigerian Army.

The Army in the clarification posted on its website on Sunday, made it clear that there had never been any case of embezzlement of funds meant for peace keeping operations.

The army claimed that though some of its officers and men who had returned from Peace Support Operations had not been fully remunerated, it had never recorded any case of embezzlement of funds meant for such operations.

“Perhaps if the authors of the petition had gone a little further towards due diligence, it would have found out that the Nigerian Army has never in any way denied that some troops who had concluded their tour of duty in some Peace Support Operations were yet to be fully remunerated. Nevertheless, there is no case of embezzlement as alleged in the report,” the army said.

“It is noteworthy that the long process of streamlining the procedure for securing funds for Peace Support Operations goes beyond the Nigerian military establishment. It involves the procedures and protocols of mission-sponsoring agencies such as the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS among others.

“It is therefore curious that this misleading information is coming at a time when the major issues are being resolved and payment has actually commenced on the basis of the order of entry or exit of the various Nigerian Contingents (NIBATTS) into the Peace Support Operations.

“It is thus expedient to state that it is not in the character of the Nigerian Army to toe the path of embezzlement as the said anonymous petition or its publishers have attempted to ascribe to the leadership of the Nigerian Army or the military as an institution.” [Vanguard]

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Nigerian Army Dismisses Diversion Of Peacekeeping Funds Claim