The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned nine principal suspects alleged to be behind the payroll fraud through the creation of fictitious names and account.
The suspects were brought into the Federal High Court, Apo, Abuja at 8.45am and charged before Justice U.P. Kekemeke of Court 14.
Those arraigned include: Usman Aliyu Dayo, Osuntope Opeyemi, Johnson Adedokun, Ojeifo Robert Sylvanus, Oyebade Ebenezer Ayodeji, Florence Olaolu Dada, Olaolu Haruna Dada, Blessing Ejeh and Aderibigbe Isaac Taiwo.
The suspects are employees of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Civil Service Commission.
The EFCC Counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, told the Judge that the case was slated for arraignment and taking of the plea of the accused persons.
The Counsel to the 6th and 7th defendants, Rotimi Ogundeji, who asked for a short adjournment of the case, said that his clients have applied for plea bargaining. Other counsels did not oppose the arraignment and taking of plea of the accused persons.
The Judge, Justice Kekemeke, stated that the Court was not interested in what is happening behind the scene and accordingly ruled that the plea of the accused persons should be taken.
After the pleas of the accused were taken, Justice Kekemeke adjourned further hearing in the case to Wednesday, November 8, 2017, while remanding the accused in prison custody.
The charge against the nine defendants reads:
Count 1:
That you, Usman Aliyu Dayo, Osuntope Opeyemi, Johnson Adedokun, Ojeifo Robert Sylvanus and Oyebade Ebenezer Ayodeji being employees of the Federal Government of Nigeria between 2009 to April 2016 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory agreed among yourselves to do an illegal act to wit: theft and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 97(1) of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN, 1990.
Count 2:
That you, Osuntope Opeyemi, being an employee of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in the Year 2009 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory committed theft by dishonestly creating fictitious names and accounts in the Federal payroll for payments of the sum of N5,313,090.66 (Five Million, Three Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Ninety Naira, Sixty Six Kobo) as salaries/allowances from the Federal Government’s account without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 289 of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN 1990.
Count 3:
That you, Usman Aliyu Dayo, Osuntope Opeyemi and Oyebade Ebenezer Ayodeji being employees of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Ministry of Agriculture in the Year 2010 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory committed theft by dishonestly fictitious names and accounts in the Federal payroll for payments of the sum of N9,406,087.95 (Nine Million, Four Hundred and Six Thousand, Eighty Seven Naira, Ninety Five Kobo) as salaries/allowances from the Federal Government’s account without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 289 of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN 1990.
Count 4:
That you, Usman Aliyu Dayo, Osuntope Opeyemi, Ojeifo Robert Sylvanus and Oyebade Ebenezer Ayodeji being employees of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Ministry of Agriculture in the Year 2011 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory committed theft by dishonestly fictitious names and accounts in the Federal payroll for payments of the sum of N16,083,566.01 (Sixteen Million, Eighty Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty Six Naira, One Kobo) as salaries/allowances from the Federal Government’s account without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 289 of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN 1990.
Count 5:
That you, Usman Aliyu Dayo, Osuntope Opeyemi, Ojeifo Robert Sylvanus, Johnson Adedokun and Oyebade Ebenezer Ayodeji being employees of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Ministry of Agriculture in the Year 2013 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory committed theft by dishonestly fictitious names and accounts in the Federal payroll for payments of the sum of N64,156,760.94 (Sixty Four Million, One Hundred and Fifty Six Thousand, Seven Hundred and Sixty Naira, Ninety Four Kobo) as salaries/allowances from the Federal Government’s account without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 289 of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN 1990.
Count 6:
That you, Usman Aliyu Dayo, Osuntope Opeyemi, Ojeifo Robert Sylvanus, Johnson Adedokun and Oyebade Ebenezer Ayodeji being employees of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Ministry of Agriculture in the Year 2013 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory committed theft by dishonestly fictitious names and accounts in the Federal payroll for payments of the sum of N64,156,760.94 (Sixty Four Million, One Hundred and Fifty Six Thousand, Seven Hundred and Sixty Naira, Ninety Four Kobo) as salaries/allowances from the Federal Government’s account without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 289 of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN 1990.
Count 7:
That you, Usman Aliyu Dayo, Osuntope Opeyemi, Ojeifo Robert Sylvanus, Johnson Adedokun and Oyebade Ebenezer Ayodeji being employees of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Ministry of Agriculture in the Year 2014 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory committed theft by dishonestly fictitious names and accounts in the Federal payroll for payments of the sum of N97,373,410.31 (Ninety Seven Million, Three Hundred and Seventy Three Thousand, Four Hundred and Ten Naira, Thirty One Kobo) as salaries/allowances from the Federal Government’s account without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 289 of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN 1990.
Count 8:
That you, Usman Aliyu Dayo, Osuntope Opeyemi, Ojeifo Robert Sylvanus, Johnson Adedokun and Oyebade Ebenezer Ayodeji being employees of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Ministry of Agriculture in the Year 2015 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory committed theft by dishonestly fictitious names and accounts in the Federal payroll for payments of the sum of N82,317,126.02 (Eighty Two Million, Three Hundred and Seventeen Thousand, One Hundred and Twenty Six Naira, Two Kobo) as salaries/allowances from the Federal Government’s account without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 289 of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN 1990.
Count 9:
That you, Usman Aliyu Dayo, Osuntope Opeyemi and Johnson Adedokun being employees of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine and Federal Ministry of Agriculture in the Year 2016 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory committed theft by dishonestly fictitious names and accounts in the Federal payroll for payments of the sum of N7,397,601.65 (Seven Million, Three Hundred and Ninety Four Thousand, Six Hundred and One Naira, Sixty Five Kobo) as salaries/allowances from the Federal Government’s account without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 289 of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN 1990.
Count 10:
That you, Usman Aliyu Dayo, Osuntope Opeyemi, Johnson Adedokun, Florence Olaolu Dada, Olaolu Haruna Dada, Blessing Ejeh and Aderigbe Isaac Taiwo from 2010 to 2016 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did conspire to commit a felony to wit: theft and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 97(2) of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN 1990.
Meanwhile, Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun has commended the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a thorough job in the detection and arrest of the key suspects and their collaborators.
She assured that the Federal Government would continue to strengthen results-based management in the public sector in order to maximize the utilization of the resources and improve efficiency, effectiveness and accountability.
“Our commitment to a lean and cost effective government remains a priority and the initiatives we are introducing will signal a fundamental change in how government spends public revenue,” the minister stated.
