ICPC arraigns poly ex-HOD, associate over alleged N13m fraud

Four policemen charged with stealing N1.3m
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Mr. Afolabi Olufemi and his associate, Mr. Bashiru Aremu, before Justice Wasiu Akanbi of Osun State High Court 3, sitting in Osogbo for alleged N13.3 million fraud.

Olufemi, a former lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun State, and Aremu reportedly obtained the money from Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) under the guise of running a doctorate degree in the United States of America (USA), but diverted it to personal use.

In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, the commission noted that the charge sheet revealed that in January 2014, Mr. Afolabi, while serving as Head of Department (HOD), Accounting and Finance, of the polytechnic, with the help of the associate who claimed to be the African Representative of Adam Smith University, U.S.A., allegedly obtained N13,328,000 from TETFUND for a foreign doctorate degree programme.

The retired don was therefore charged for “engaging in criminal conspiracy to confer corrupt advantage upon self, contrary to section 26 (1)(c) and punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and their counsel, Mrs. Olateju Kolawole and Mr. Oyewale Dauda, thereafter asked for bail, which was not opposed by the ICPC counsel, Mr. Sulaiman Abdulkareem and Mr. Kehinde Adetoye.

Justice Akanbi granted them bail of N5 million each, in line with the terms of administrative bail earlier granted them by ICPC, with the condition that their sureties, who were expected to be present in court, must be civil servants not below Grade Level 15 within the jurisdiction of the court.

The trial was adjourned till December 10 2018.

Meanwhile, for allegedly diverting N1,301,334,108 from the coffers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned four police officers and two firms before the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja.

Olumide Odumosu, Sule Tegina, Helen Nwafor and Okpalugo Ifeoma, as well as Olu Osmond Nigeria Limited and Jemmy Yus Investment Nigeria Limited were charged before Justice Sherifat Solebo.