Abba Moro, four others to be arraigned today

A former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, will be arraigned today, (Monday) before Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court Abuja.

Moro, who has been in the EFCC custody for almost a week will answer to charges of abuse of procurement process and diversion of public funds preferred against him and four others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The commission had slammed 11-count charge against him and four others for allegedly collecting N676.6 million from 676,675 job seekers in the fatal Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment exercise in 2014.

Moro, a permanent secretary in the ministry at the time, Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, a deputy director in the ministry, F. O Alayebami, one Mahmood Ahmadu (at large), and the contracting firm given the recruitment job, Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd, are being accused of defrauding 676, 675,000 Nigerian applicants of N676,675,000. The EFCC said N202,500,000 of the amount was spent on buying No. 1, Lahn Crescent, Maitama, Abuja while N120, 100,000 was used to upgrade No.2,

The EFCC said N202,500,000 of the amount was spent on buying No. 1, Lahn Crescent, Maitama, Abuja while N120, 100,000 was used to upgrade No.2, Sigure Close, Off Monrovia Street, Wuse II Abuja. The commission said the recruitment firm, Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and Mahmood.

The commission said the recruitment firm, Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and Mahmood Ahmadu converted N101, 200,000 to US dollars for personal use.

The accused were also alleged to have contravened the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 in the contract awards by not following the necessary procedure laid down by the government.

The charges are:

“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.”

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