N20bn Police Pension Fraud: EFCC Amends Charges against Defendants

N20bn Police Pension Fraud: EFCC Amends Charges against Defendants

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday re-arraigned Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, Mrs. Uzoma Cyril Attang and Christian Madubuke.

They were arraigned before Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on an amended 18-count charge of criminal breach of trust and fraud in the Police Pension Scheme to the tune of N20billion.

At the resume trial, prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, asked the court to withdraw the initial charges as he has a substitution.

The development followed the death of Esai Dangabar, who was a principal defendant in the trial.

Count one of the amended charges read: “That you Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, Mrs. Uzoma Cyril Attang, Christian Madubuke and Esai Dangabar (now deceased) between January 2008 and June 2011 in Abuja in the Abuja Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) agreed to an illegal act to with; criminal breach of trust by public officers in respect of the sum of N20, 154, 728, 660.18 (Twenty billion, one hundred and fifty four million, seven hundred and twenty eight thousand, six hundred and sixty naira and eighteen kobo), an act done in pursuance of the agreement among you, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code Act Cap, 532, Laws of the FCT, Abuja, Nigeria 2007.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to them.

Justice Baba Yusuf adjourned the matter till March 25 and April 22, 2020, for continuation of the trial.

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