A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday remanded former Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, in Kuje Prison following his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) over allegations of fraud concerning recruitment exercise by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Moro along side former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia; Deputy Director in the ministry, F O Alayebami; and one Mahmood Ahmadu over N676 million obtained from applicants seeking job at the Nigeria Immigration Service.
EFCC’s lawyer, Mr. Aliyu Yusuf told the court that “Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia, F O Alayebami, Mahmood Ahmadu (at large) and Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd allegedly defrauded a total of 675, 675,000 Nigerian applicants to the tune of N675,675,000, representing N1000 per applicant through e-payment for an online recruitment exercise into the Nigeria Immigration Service on March 17, 2013.”
The EFCC counsel also told that the court that investigations by the commission revealed that the Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd, which was used for the recruitment exercise was not validly registered to do business in Nigeria.
According to him, the company did not bid for the contract which was awarded through selective tendering procedure by sending invitation to four firms without seeking the approval of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) contrary to sections 40, 42 and 43 of the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 and punishable under section 58 of the same act.
In his ruling, Justice Anwuli Chikere also remanded Mr. F. O Alayebami in prison custody and granted an administrative bail to Mrs. Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, who is nursing a baby.
Justice Chikere adjourned the case to Wednesday, March 10, 2016 for the consideration of the bail applications of the accused persons.
