Prison official arraigned over N3.9 million

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday said that it arraigned a Prisons Officer, Onoja Osita Kingsley, over a N3.9 million alleged fraud before Justice A.V. Agishir of the Federal High Court, Enugu. Onoja was charged with stealing, possession of fraudulent document and forgery.

“The accused who is a Prison Assistant with the Nigeria Prison Service allegedly orchestrated the fraudulent transfer of the sum of N132.9 million from six customers’ accounts with a new generation bank. N3.9 million was transferred into the account of one Uchenna Eze, which Onoja had opened with forged documents at the Olu Obasanjo Road branch of Access Bank Plc, in Port Harcourt, River State. He subsequently withdrew the sum of N140, 000 from the account”, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said in a statement.

Onoja was arrested on January 12, 2015 in Enugu, where he had gone to withdraw the balance of the stolen money. He pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him. Justice Agishir adjourned the matter to October 28, 2015 for hearing of bail application and remanded the accused in EFCC custody.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, has debunked allegations that suspects being investigated for alleged corrupt practices by the Commission are made to give their statements under duress.

He said the state- of-the- art recording facilities in the EFCC interrogation rooms would not allow any interrogator to humiliate a suspect.

Speaking in his office on Monday during a visit by two officials of Amnesty International, AI, he said: ‘‘The EFCC follows the rule of law. Our statements are recorded and are not taken under duress. Our rooms have cameras in them, so it is not possible to humiliate anyone.”

Lamorde, who expressed gratitude to the AI team for opening an office in Abuja, also described corruption as the worst type of human right abuse, adding that AI must continue to lend its voice to the anti-corruption war in Nigeria.

According to him: ‘‘Western countries must end the impoverisation of developing countries. They must reject and return stolen funds, so that respective governments of the affected developing countries could use the money to better the lives of the poor in their countries. It is the commonwealth of the people that has been diverted for private use. So, it is the worst form of human rights abuse. When corruption and impunity become the order of the day, human rights abuses flourish.”

‘‘When you consider the cause of water-borne diseases suffered by people in rural areas, it is because someone has diverted the funds meant for pipe-borne water in those areas. Also, when you consider the fact that our hospitals lack the basic amenities, it is because some people have kept the funds allocated to the hospitals to themselves. I, therefore, urge you to consider partnering with the EFCC,’’ he said.

In his remark, Mr. Colm O Cuanachain, Senior Director, Office of the Secretary General of Amnesty International, said that only nations that take anti-corruption war seriously could experience ‘‘phenomenal growth’’.

Cuanachain, who further expressed the readiness of AI to partner EFCC, also talked about the activities of the AI in the North- Eastern part of Nigeria, the Niger Delta and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he said corruption had contributed to human rights violation.

He, however, decried death penalty as punishment for looters of the treasury, adding that ‘‘it is not the best option in the fight against corruption.’’

Also, in his closing remark, Executive Director, Amnesty International Nigeria, M.K. Ibrahim, emphasized the need for the masses to be educated on the effects of corruption and human rights violations.