N41.1m Fraud: EFCC Arraigns Adamawa Ex-Council Boss

EFCC Press Release

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on March 12, 2015 arraigned a former Chairman and Chief Accounting Officer of Hong Local Government Council, Adamawa State, Ibrahim Buba Gayus, before Justice B. B Aliyu of the Federal High Court Yola, Adamawa State, on a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy, embezzlement, and diversion of public funds, fraud and abuse of office to the tune of N41.1m (forty one million, one hundred thousand naira).

 

Gayus allegedly collected N50m (fifty million naira) agric loan on behalf of members of staff but instead, gave out less than N10m (ten million naira) to them and diverted the remaining for personal use.

 

Discrete investigations carried out by EFCC, revealed that Gayus fraudulently diverted the sum of N41.1million for his personal use. It was also discovered that, the former council boss used his office to withdraw N1.95m, which was supposed to be used to renovate the council chambers

 

One of the charge reads:

“That you, Ibrahim Buba Gayus,  being the former chairman, and chief accounting officer of Hong Local Government Council, Adamawa State and in such capacity sometimes between December 2009 and January 2010 in Hong Local Government Council, Adamawa State, within the jurisdiction of this Court, Federal High Court of Nigeria, did transfer and spend N19,000,000.00 (Nineteen Million Naira) funds made for Agric loan for Local Government staff to another unapproved project of drilling machine and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 22(4) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

 

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The accused person pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.

 

In view of the plea of the accused, the prosecuting counsel, Al’Qasim Ja’Afar, prayed the court to fix a date for trial while the defence counsel, Onyi Ukaegbu, told the court that, he had a pending application for the bail of the accused.

 

Justice Aliyu, after hearing from both counsel, granted the accused person bail in the sum of N10m (ten million naira) and two sureties who must submit N5m bond to the court for verification. The sureties must be resident in Yola.

 

The case has been adjourned to May 4, 2015 for hearing.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media & Publicity

12^th March, 2015