Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged to court a senatorial aspirant on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu and 12 others for allegedly using unregistered companies to loot a sum of N5.6 billion belonging to Nasarawa State Government through unexecuted contracts.

Detailing the alleged crime in charge sheet no FHC/LF/CR/8/2010, at the Federal High Court in Lafia, the commission claimed that Ukachukwu collected various sums of money from the Nasarawa State Government for contracts which he failed to execute.

In the 171-count charge preferred against the him and others, Ukachukwu and his companies identified as Prince and Princess Properties Limited, Nick Associates Company, SNECOU, RIOK Industries and NICCUS Industries alone were alleged to have collected over N5.6 billion from the coffers of the Nsasarawa State Government for unexecuted contracts.

Some of the counts in the charge read: “that you Nicholas Ukachukwu whilst being the chairman of SNECOU Group, a non registered company on or about June 5, 2003 in Lafia, Nasarawa within the jurisdiction of this honourable court obtained contract under the name of Henry and Nick Associate Company Limited to the tune of N589,611,359 (Five hundred and eighty nine million six hundred and eleven thousand three hundred and fifty nine naira) obtained the said sum from Nasarawa State Government without executing the contract and in breach of the agreement thereto, thereby committed an offence of Economic and Financial Crimes (looting) punishable under Section 18 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act:

“That you Nicholas Ukachukwu whilst being the chairman of SNECOU Group, a non registered company on or about August 8, 2005, in Lafia, Nasarawa within the jurisdiction of this honourable court obtained contract under the name of Henry and Nick Associate Company Limited to the tune of N2,151,680,359.37 (Two billion, one hundred and fifty one million six hundred and eighty thousand three hundred and fifty-nine naira, thirty-seven kobo) and obtained the said sum from Nasarawa State Government without executing the contract and in breach of the agreement thereto, thereby committed an offence of Economic and Financial Crimes (looting) punishable under Section 18 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act:”