‘How military officers, bankers stole N339m’

The Federal Government has made public details of how two military personnel – Wing Commander Ishaka Yakubu and Lt.-Commander Akinbamidele Odunsi – worked with two bankers to allegedly divert N339m from the Military Pension Board (MPB) in February 2016.

The bankers’ are Mrs. Violet Ogoegbunam (the manager of a bank on Kuforodua Street, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja) and Mrs. Abidemi Aderemi Kolade (a relationship manager at the bank).

They were said to have diverted N339,374,478.58 from the MPB, under the pretext that the money represented payments to some “supposed next of kins to dead military pensioners as death benefits”.

Wing Commander Yakubu is said to be a cashier with the MPB. Lt.-Commander Odunsi is described as an Assistant Director, Computer, with the MPB.

This information formed the substance of a four-count charge filed on behalf of the Federal Government by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The charge, filed on May 31, 2017, was endorsed by Steve Odiase of the Legal and Prosecution Department of the EFCC in Abuja.

The two bankers are named in counts 1 and 2, relating to conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence in respect of the alleged N339,374,478.58 fraud.

Yakubu and Odunsi ar named in the four counts, and charged with obtaining by false pretence, and abuse of office in respect of N190m which they allegedly received from the N390m.

According to the EFCC, the offences of obtaining money under false pretence were said to be contrary to section 1(i) (a) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, while offences of conspiracy to obtain money under false pretence contrary to Section 8(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

It added that the offence of abuse of office by obtaining money by false pretences in Count 4, was said to be contrary to Section 19 of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under the same section.

The case is yet to be assigned for hearing.

SOURCE: THE NATION