EFCC closes case against Benue Assembly officers on alleged N5m fraud

Akinade Adepoju
Akinade Adepoju
From right, Christopher Adaji, Deputy speaker (BSHA), and Torese Agena, Clerk of the House (BSHA

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, closed its case against the deputy speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, Christopher Adaji and the clerk, Torese Agena before Justice S. O. Itodo of the Benue State High Court, Makurdi.

The two are being prosecuted by the Makurdi Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on two-count charge of abuse of office and criminal misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N5,040,950.

At today’s sitting, prosecution counsel, George Chia-Yakua, closed its case against the defendants after the testimony of the third prosecution witness (PW3), Gideon Kure, an EFCC staff, who told the court that the Commission got incriminating evidence against the defendants from different organisations, from which it tendered 23 exhibits that were admitted in evidence by court.

It could be recalled that before today’s sitting, Clifford Tyover Attle (PW1) and Ifa Celestine Mbakaa (PW2) had testified against the defendants.

Justice Itodo adjourned the matter till December 9, 2020 for cross-examination of PW3 and for the defendants to open their defence.

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