Anti graft agencies in the country are currently dealing with a case of monumental fraud in the Ministry of Environment involving alleged unauthorised transfer of N924.98 million from the ministry’s account with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) to the accounts of some organisations in four banks.

To this effect, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it has taken into custody four suspects involved in the fraud.

This is coming barely one week after President Goodluck Jonathan had insisted that cases of theft should be treated seriously as stealing and not corruption, and against criticisms that his government was not doing enough to tackle corruption.

One of the key suspects in the alleged looting of the ministry’s funds, Mr Adeolu Adeyanju, a Chief Executive Officer of Detwinx Global Services Ltd whose company allegedly received the sum of N465,193,460.05 in its account with Zenith Bank was said to have been arrested by ICPC.

The other three suspects were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and handed over to the ICPC, following an existing collaboration between the two agencies.

Adeolu Adeyanju who is said to have fled to a neighbouring country when the fraud was uncovered before he was arrested by ICPC after a manhunt, allegedly withdrew the said money on the same day the money was transferred from the FCMB account.

The three other suspects are Usman Omoh Sani who is the brother to a key suspect named Murphy Sani and now at large; Raphael Orim, managing director of De-Ormat Furniture and Abubakar Mamman Mutari of Afazuwa Ventures (Bureau De Change).

According to ICPC, they were all associated with the illegally transferred money or played a role in the withdrawals therefrom.

ICPC’s spokesman, Mr Folu Olamiti noted in a statement yesterday that the case was reported to the Commission by the Ministry of Environment via a letter dated 1st December, 2014.

He said following this, the commission commenced investigation by immediately freezing the affected bank accounts and inviting, arresting and interrogating several staff of the banks and officials of the ministry.

Olamiti noted that a similar report had also been made by the ministry’s bank to the EFCC which later transferred the case file to the ICPC.

Details released by the ICPC showed how the money was allegedly distributed to the organisations through the four banks namely: Access Bank: De- Ormart Furniture Company Ltd- N143,562,532.50; First Bank: Felitex Global Enterprises Ltd- N39,051,359.00 and Afazuwa Ventures- N43,182,404.00; Zenith Bank: Detwinx Global Services Ltd -N468,794,613.79 and Alozen Pharmacy Nig. Ltd-N1,397,899,494.00; and UBA: Federal Board of Inland Revenue- N92,499,553.60

Olamiti added that the ICPC has so far blocked the sum of N459,789,456.76 in most of the banks they were transferred to.

He said, “This includes the sum of N92,490,553.60 transferred to UBA purportedly as tax remittance in an account designated as Federal Board of Inland Revenue Account and which has been returned to FCMB as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) denied operating such an account in UBA.

“The sum of N358,695,789.50 has been mopped up and transferred to the ICPC’s Recovery Account to prevent any further diversions while investigation is still ongoing”.

Meanwhile, the ICPC has declared Mr Murphy Sani (alias Murphy Ozi Opene) wanted and has requested anyone with useful information to contact the nearest ICPC, EFCC office or Police station.

THE House of Representatives has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to within seven days, return the N924 million recovered by the agency to the Ministry of Environment.

The N924,989,776.96 million meant for Great Green Wall project was subject of a fraudulent transfer, which led to the anti-graft agency keeping it in a special recovery account.

Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Uche Ekwunife, while commending the agency for a good job however reminded the ICPC that the money was meant for a project for the benefit of Nigerians and should therefore not be kept in perpetuity by the agency having been recovered by the authorities.

Fielding questions when she appeared before the committee yesterday, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nana Fatima Mede, told the committee how the N924,989,776.96 million was fraudulently transferred from the Great Green Wall project account being kept by First City Monument Bank (FCMB).

According to her, the bank alerted her of the illegal transfer on November 28 2014 and she immediately contacted officials of the anti-graft agency.

The intervention of the ICPC, according to her, led to the stoppage of the fraudulent transfer out of which N400 million could not be transferred by the scammers.

The Chairman, ICPC, Ekpo Nta, said the Commission swung into action after the agency was contacted, a development which led to the recovery of the entire money.

He also disclosed that the major suspect behind the scam, Adeolu Adeyanju, the Chief Executive Officer of Detwinx Global Services Limited, who fled the country after the discovery was later apprehended when he recently sneaked into the country.

He said though investigation into the matter was still continuing because the agency was interested in how the operation was successfully carried out, Adeyanju and some bank workers have been charged to court.

The committee chairman, Ekwunife, commended the permanent secretary for her timely response and the efficiency of the ICPC operatives.
She, however, said everyone involved in the scam must be prosecuted, adding, “We want punishment for all those indicted, including bank workers, civil servants and everyone involved. We cannot continue to condone this kind of attitude in our banks.”

Sincere9gerian:
Thanks for the information. And to show how mischievous the broom wielding sycophants are, no mention was made of February event in that report

Imortal001:
Am tired of all this jonathan sympatisers!

TonyeBarcanista:
The said amount was recovered in February 2015 by the ICPC under Dr Jonathan's administration. They also arrested 4 suspects.
Feb 15, 2015 Report
http://leadership.ng/news/411869/4-arrested-over-n1bn-fraud-in-environment-ministry

TonyeBarcanista:
Having recovered the money, the House of Representatives in April 2015 praised the ICPC and the Whistle Blower and Directed that the money be returned to the Ministry of Environment.
April 24, 2015 Report..
www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015/04/reps-panel-directs-icpc-to-return-recovered-n925m-to-environment-ministry/

TonyeBarcanista:


It is worthy to note that the said money has been in the custody with the ICPC. Buhari has no role here. He played no role.

Let me also inform readers that since coming to power Buhari is yet to recover N1 of stolen funds. We shall always check-mate their propaganda and cut short the bid of Buhari and APC to steal GEJ's glory.


God Bless Us All

doublewisdom:
Another APC lie 'bursted'.

OnReflection:
Funny @OP!

You figured all this out on your own? Or did you get a little help along the way, which you refused to acknowledge?

Anyway, question begging for answers: why did it take a change of regime for the ICPC to do the right thing?
Could it be inferred that stealing simply became corruption after your principal got booted out of office?

OZAOEKPE:
"God, I want to thank you for the gift of tonyebarcanist. May you reap what you are sowing come 2019, Amin". Quote me anywhere.

OnReflection:
Funny @OP!

You figured all this out on your own? Or did you get a little help along the way, which you refused to acknowledge?

Anyway, question begging for answers: why did it take a change of regime for the ICPC to do the right thing?
Could it be inferred that stealing morphed into corruption, after your principal got booted out of office?

We all recall how so many of these cases were buried into the deep recesses of indifference, not so long ago.

TonyeBarcanista:
I was actually working on the FIRST article when I saw your mention with VALUABLE infor for the second. I had to merge them. Though I'd still have figured it out.
Thanks

TonyeBarcanista:
Lalasticlala pls Sir, do the needful for a wider reach.

Imortal001:
Am tired of all this jonathan sympatisers!

TonyeBarcanista:
What are you saying? Money was recovered by ICPC, offenders arrested and the money kept. Don't you know that Police, ICPC, EFCC don't return moneies immediately after recovery? The most important is that the money was RECOVERED under GEJ, Kept by ICPC and they were asked to hand it over to Environmental Ministry by the Reps under GEJ.

10000000% credit goes to GEJ administration. Buhari is yet to recover N1 of stolen funds.

tucky200:
bros all d money recovered by efcc and icpc under jona's regime where are they today ?cos I remember clearly senate are accusing efcc boss of diverting 11trn