ANNIVERSARY: From left: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Chairman, Mrs Farida Waziri; Secretary to the Commission, Emmanuel Akomaye; Haruna Ogbole, Mohammed Jibo, all Board members and Director, Organisation Support, Bolaji Salami during a press conference by the Chairman to mark her second anniversary in office, in Abuja, Monday.

By Ise-Oluwa Ige
ABUJA — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday brought fresh fraud charges involving N1.7billion against six principal officials of Kogi State government before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The accused persons are the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant and currently Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Samuel Abiodun Ojo and a Senatorial aspirant in Kogi West and currently Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Tolorunjuwon Joseph Faniyi.

The rest are Malam Enesi Jimoh Suleman who is a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the  state; Mr. Stephen Ropo Asala; Obaro Victor Kayode and Yahaya Abubakar, Chairmen of Yagba West, Yagba East and Okene Local Government  areas respectively.

The fresh fraud charge against them is an indication that more troubles are in the offing for the government officials. The six officials were alleged to have misappropriated the sum in the course of discharging their statutory  functions in their respective offices in Kogi State.

The fresh counts were brought against them by the counsel to EFCC, Kunle Wahab Shitu following more discoveries in the investigation of the anti-graft body operatives.

In  the fresh criminal charge, the governorship aspirant who until lately was Finance Commissioner, was alleged to have defrauded the state government of N150 million. In the same vein, the Chairman of Okene Local Government Council, Yahaya Abubakar, was alleged  to have defrauded the council  of N634.4 million.

The rest accused persons were alleged to have conspired and diverted N939 to their pockets.

Shittu, who brought the fresh 29 counts criminal charge against the six accused  persons, told Justice David Okorowo that the anti-graft commission was fully prepared to prosecute the case.

He informed the court that the list of witnesses including  banks officials, forensic examiners  and proof of evidence had been filed along with the charges as demanded by law.

However, the trial could not go ahead as the accused  persons pleaded with  the court to give them time to study the fresh charges and respond appropriately.

The Judge granted the request and adjourned the case to July 8 for mention.

The court had earlier struck out the old charge preferred against the accused persons in April and ordered that the bail earlier granted should subsist.