LAGOS – The arraignment of six suspects, including two firms by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, before the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja for allegedly diverting N1, 301,334,108 from the coffers of the Nigeria Police Force has sent jittery to the ranks of all Police Pay Officers (PPOs) in the country.
The PPOs became jittery as there fears the case may unravel shocking fraudulent practices going in the Mechanised Salary Sections (MSS) of the Force.
The EFCC on Friday arraigned Olumide Odumosu, Sule Tegina, Helen Nwafor and Okpalugo Ifeoma, Olu Osmond Nigeria Limited and Jemmy Yus Investment Nigeria Limited before Justice Sherifat Solebo.
The defendants, who work in the Nigeria Police Force Account Department are facing 14-count charge.
The amount involved was alleged to have been fraudulently converted to their own personal benefits between 2013 and 2014.
Our correspondent can exclusively reports that the amount involved in the charge may be a tip off the iceberg of the monumental fraud taking place in the accounts department otherwise known as the Mechanised Salary Section (MSS) of the Nigeria Police.
The EFCC alleged in the charges that the defendants conspired with one Ogbadu Joseph and one Hassan Muhammed, who were said to be at large.
The Nigerian Observer findings revealed that Ogbadu was actually the chairman of all the Police Pay Officers in the country and he allegedly influenced his other colleagues across the country to allegedly perpetrate the fraudulent act.
Ogbadu was however involved in an accident which nearly took his life.
He is currently in India receiving treatment.
With Ogbadu alleged connection to the N1.35 billion theft, the PPOs, whether serving or retired, are in fear as to what would become their fate, as EFCC has widen its investigation into the activities of Ogbadu and even looking at conspiracy theory that many people (the PPOs) might involve in other thefts other than the N1.35 billion known to the EFCC.
“This case involving Ogbadu is one of the major breakthroughs in the fraud going on in the MSS. Those who are connected with Ogbadu in the past are in fear and panicking as I speak because they do not know if what they have done will be exposed.
“Some of the PPOs, whether serving or retired, may be involved in one shady deal or the other with the Police funds, and I can tell you, they are afraid of the next action of the EFCC,” said a source that has knowledge of the case, but pleaded anonymity.
In the charge, marked, Temp/39698/2018, the EFCC alleged that the defendants stole the N1.3bn from the coffers of the Nigeria Police Force.
The counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, said the six defendants acted contrary to Section 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, and were liable to be punished under Section 285(1) of the same Act.
They have since been remanded in the prison custody till the 7 November, 2018 date the judge adjourned the case to.
