ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is currently prosecuting no fewer than 42 persons over pension scam across the country, even as the commission said many more persons would be made to face the music for fraudulently denying pensioners their legitimate benefits.

Acting Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde who spoke in Abuja, lamented the suffering inflicted on the pensioners because of the denial of their due entitlements.

While playing host to the Pension Reform Task Team led by the Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina, he assured that the commission was doing everything possible to ensure that all those who deliberately inflicted sufferings on the pensioners through unethical practices would be brought to book.

According to him, “We hope the prosecution will serve as deterrence to those who may wish to get into this callous and inhuman venture.”

It will be recalled that late last year, 40 suspects including a former Director of Pension Administration in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Sani Teidi Shuaibu, were re-arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja, in connection with the N4.56 billion pension scam that was recently uncovered by the commission.

Shuaibu was arraigned with nine other persons and 30 companies in an amended 24-count charge to which they pleaded not guilty before Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court, Abuja. The commission had sought leave of the court to withdraw the earlier charge and replace it with a new 24-count charge which included names of companies allegedly used to perpetrate the fraud – a request which was granted.

EFCC’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said counsel to the commission, Emmanuel Egweabu, from the Chambers of Godwin Obla, thereafter applied that the charges be read to the accused persons who were all present in court for their plea to be taken pursuant to Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

“Aside Shuaibu, among 10 others arraigned today are Mrs. Phina Ukamaka Chidi, and Aliyu Bello who was a Personal Assistant to Dr. Shuaibu. Other accused persons are Garba Abdullahi Tahir, Emmanuel Olanipekun, and Abdullahi Omeiza while the companies were Computer Plaza and Essential Gadget Ventures, Mobis Point Investment Ltd, Obista Enterprises, Shallow Well Ventures, Mof Investment Ltd, Zumba Resources, Pam Investment and Properties Ltd, Moshfad Enterprises, Newgate Projects Ltd, RedWings Energy Ltd, RedWing Procurement Services Ltd, Woodland Industries Nig. Ltd.

The rest are Nwab Tessy O. Enterprises Nigeria, Chris J. Junior Ventures, Uthaka Nigeria Ltd, Bashinta Nigeria Ltd, Haleath Enterprises, Gozinda Enterprises, Omozua Ventures, S.S. Badejo Enterprises, Lopee Ventures, Fafama Oil and Gas Ltd, Fafama Estate Developer Ltd and Riba-Ile Petroleum.