EFCC arrests 3 FAAN staff for alleged N100 million fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested a
level six officer of the accounts department of the Federal Airports
Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.
A statement by EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said the staff, Christy Olabode, was arrested on Tuesday for alleged fraud involving N100 million.
Also arrested was her younger brother, Abdul-Shehu Obaze, who is a staff at the Commercial Department of FAAN in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Another staff, Dominic Ojo, an IT officer at FAAN Headquarters, Lagos, was also arrested.
The EFCC said Ms. Olabode’s arrest followed an anonymous petition, which indicated that she allegedly diverted the said sum, by inserting names of non-FAAN staff into the payroll. She allegedly conspired with Mr. Obaze, to perpetrate the fraud.
The EFCC said Mr. Obaze was found to have maintained not less than eight accounts in seven new generation banks, which were used to receive the funds for onward distribution to “several high ranking officers within the FAAN”.
“The funds were being paid into his various bank accounts with the narrative, ‘Furniture Allowance’. However, while allowance for FAAN’s furniture is usually paid once in three years, Obaze received the ‘allowance’ several times within a year.
“Investigations carried out by the EFCC revealed that the fraud had gone on since 2013. It unearthed a payroll with names of many dead, retired and disengaged staff of FAAN listed against Obaze’s different bank accounts.
“Upon interrogation, Obaze, a level nine officer, confessed that
other FAAN officials were involved in the massive fraud, including
Olabode’s husband who works in the Human Resources department of FAAN.
“Olabode and Ojo currently enjoy administrative bail, while Obaze remains in EFCC custody,” the statement said.
They would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded, the EFCC said.
A statement by EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said the staff, Christy Olabode, was arrested on Tuesday for alleged fraud involving N100 million.
Also arrested was her younger brother, Abdul-Shehu Obaze, who is a staff at the Commercial Department of FAAN in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Another staff, Dominic Ojo, an IT officer at FAAN Headquarters, Lagos, was also arrested.
The EFCC said Ms. Olabode’s arrest followed an anonymous petition, which indicated that she allegedly diverted the said sum, by inserting names of non-FAAN staff into the payroll. She allegedly conspired with Mr. Obaze, to perpetrate the fraud.
The EFCC said Mr. Obaze was found to have maintained not less than eight accounts in seven new generation banks, which were used to receive the funds for onward distribution to “several high ranking officers within the FAAN”.
“The funds were being paid into his various bank accounts with the narrative, ‘Furniture Allowance’. However, while allowance for FAAN’s furniture is usually paid once in three years, Obaze received the ‘allowance’ several times within a year.
“Investigations carried out by the EFCC revealed that the fraud had gone on since 2013. It unearthed a payroll with names of many dead, retired and disengaged staff of FAAN listed against Obaze’s different bank accounts.
“Olabode and Ojo currently enjoy administrative bail, while Obaze remains in EFCC custody,” the statement said.
They would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded, the EFCC said.
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