EFCC Docks 6 Officials of ABUTH, Investigates FMC Yenagoa Top Officials on HWN UPDATE

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has docked six officials of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital  (ABUTH) Zaria in Kaduna state, Nigeria for N185 million fraud.

The accused persons were arraigned on a 22-count charge bordering on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, theft, cheating, misappropriation and fraudulent diversion of bank Loan before Justice M. M. Ladan of Kaduna state High Court sitting in Zaria.

This was contained in a statement issued on March 11, by the commission’s head, media and publicity, Wilson Uwujaren,

The commission gave the names of the accused persons to include; Kabuk Dauda chairman, Nuruddeen Mohammed secretary, Cecelia Jatau treasurer, Abdulrazak Garba and Abdulkadir B Danyaro of non academic staff union (NASU) ABUTH multipurpose co-operative society, Zaria.

The accused were arrested by the EFCC, after it received a petition from Prof Lawal Khalid, chief medical director of ABUTH, against the management of the multipurpose cooperative society of the non academic staff union of the institution.

Prof Khalid alleged that, sometime in 2013, First City Monument Bank, Zaria branch granted N185 million loan to multipurpose cooperative society of NASU ABUTH Zaria and the money was later shared by the society to the beneficiaries for subsequent repayment in full with interest within 24 months.

According to the petitioner, the management of ABUTH assured only the deduction from the beneficiaries’ salary for the monthly repayment and remittance to the Society’s account at the Bank which will enable FCMB to recover its money.

The petitioner further alleged that after some of the beneficiaries complained over deduction of repayment, an internal investigation was carried out and it was discovered that N27, 211, 486.66 could not be accounted for. He further alleged that, ABUTH management constituted an Ad-hoc committee on the issue which recommended that the sum of N25, 5387, 798.60 should be recovered from the officials of the society. EFCC’s investigation later revealed that, the sum of N3, 995, 104.17 was supposed to be repaid on monthly basis by the Management of ABUTH to FCMB, but the accused conspired to be remitting N4, 834,076, and converted the difference to their personal use. Count one of the charge read: “That you KABUK DAUDA being the Chairman, NURUDDEEN MOHAMMED being the Secretary, CECELIA JATAU being the Treasurer, ABDULRAZAK GARBA and ABDULKADIR DANYARO of Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria (ABUTH) and Olatunbonsun Thomas (now at large) sometimes between May, 2013 and March 2014 at Zaria within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Kaduna State , while being in the management of the NASU Cooperative society and its Bank account with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) obtained two (2) loan facility of N85, 292, 000.00 (Eighty five million, two hundred and ninety two thousand naira) and N100, 000, 000.00 (one hundred million naira) but with intent to defraud, conspired among yourselves to do an illegal act to wit; Criminal Breach of Trust in the disbursement and pricing of the loan by increasing the interest rates in order to gain a monetary advantage to yourselves and cause lost to the beneficiary members and thereby committed an offense contrary to section 96 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under section 97 of the same Law.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecution counsel Samuel Chime prayed the court to fix a date for hearing as all the witnesses for the trial were ready. Justice Ladan granted the accused persons N10 million bail each. He said the accused should provide two reliable sureties each in the like sum with landed property within the jurisdiction of the court. The justice adjourned the case to April 12, 2016 for trial.

It could also be recalled that some days ago, officials of the EFCC visited Federal Medical Centre Yenagoa in Bayelsa state - Nigeria based on petition by the former president (GEJ) on misappropriation on funds meant for specific buildings which were not erected.

It was revealed by a reliable source that FMC Yenagoa officials took the EFCC officials to a guest house very close to the hospital were they attempted to compromise the EFCC officials but unknowingly to FMC officials one of the EFCC officials relation is a staff of FMC Yenagoa.

The EFCC officials called his relation on phone while they were dining with FMC officials, as soon as the FMC officials saw the staff walked in the guest house, the FMC officials almost freeze/paralyzed.

Another disturbing situation at FMC yenagoa is the misappropriation of multipurpose cooperative society fund which is estimated to the tune of N130, 000, 000:00 - N150, 000, 000:00. Doctors,Nurses, Pharmacists, allied healthcare professionals are threatening to involve EFCC but some group of cabals are suppressing it, saying its our people.

To be continued...