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EFCC arraigns university lecturer over N19m fraud, arrests another over N90m disappearance

By Matthew Ogune, Abuja
08 June 2019   |   4:11 am
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Makurdi Zonal Office yesterday arraigned one Moses Peter Adoga before Justice Simon O. Aboki...

[FILE PHOTO] EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Makurdi Zonal Office yesterday arraigned one Moses Peter Adoga before Justice Simon O. Aboki of the Nasarawa State High Court sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

Adoga was arraigned on a one-count charge for dishonestly converting the sum of N19, 765,200 being a TETFUND grant to study for a PhD, to other purposes. He pleaded ‘not guilty’. In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, Mary Onoja prayed for a date for the commencement of trial, praying the defendant be remanded in prison pending the hearing of his bail.

However, defense counsel, S. K. Sheltu orally applied for bail and Justice Aboki granted same in the sum of N2, 000, 000 with two sureties in like sum. The defendant is to surrender his international passport to the registrar of the court.

The Judge adjourned the matter till July 10, 2019 for commencement of trial.

Troubles started for Adoga, a lecturer with the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Applied Science, Nasarawa State University Keffi, when a petitioner alleged that the suspect obtained a TETFUND grant in 2010 to study PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Bangor University, United Kingdom but never went or graduated as he claimed but diverted the funds for business and sundry purposes.

The EFCC also arrested one Prince Ishola Olatunbosun, for theft, fraud, criminal breach of trust and obtaining by false pretense, the sum of N90, 000, 000.

According to a petition by one Charlse Anyaokei, director, Viscount Micro-finance Limited, Vancord Bureau-de-Change and Charblecom Concept Limited, filed by his legal team, Inedia Oweazim & Co, he was sometime ago, introduced to the suspect (Olatunbosun), a Chief Executive Officer of Dallas Halimgton Oil Limited with office in Leadway House, Abuja, for the purpose of procuring Dollars for him. The complainant stated that he had earlier had few transactions with Olatunbosun and his company and that in this case, he needed US$250,000 (N90million) and transferred from his FCMB account to an account belonging to the suspect on the agreement that the suspect through the offshore branch of his company, source the dollar equivalent for him whilst a receipt was duly issued.
By late evening of Friday, January 11, 2019, the complainant said the suspect invited him for the completion of the transaction processes and further disclosed that the transaction was only completed around 11pm.

Following the late completion of the transaction, the complainant disclosed that the suspect told him that it was risky to venture out with the $250,000 and convinced him to deposit it in a strong room in his office for safety until he would need it on Monday, January 14, 2019.

Anyaokei further alleged that upon arrival on Monday, he discovered that a key, which was different from the one with which the safe was locked on Friday, was applied to open the strong room, and that the $250,000 had disappeared. He alleged that all efforts to recover the money proved abortive, hence he reported to the EFCC.

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