I collected money from job-seekers for FCC chairman, ex-staffer alleges – Newstrends
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I collected money from job-seekers for FCC chairman, ex-staffer alleges

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A former staff member of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Mr Haruna Kolo, has alleged that job seekers paid millions of naira into his personal account for remission to the commission’s Chairman, Mrs Farida Dankaka.

Kolo said this on Monday in Abuja at the resumed investigative hearing of the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee probing job racketeering in Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government.

The committee is also probing the alleged mismanagement of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information (IPPIS) in MDAs.

Kolo said he usually approached the Point of Sale (POS) agents to collect the money in cash to deliver to the chairman.

He further said that Dankaka appointed him as her Chief Protocol, while he was working in FCC.

Kolo, who now works with the Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), said that he saw the allegation against him, regarding job racketeering, in the media.

He said some of those who came to seek for job in the commission paid between N1 million and N5 million naira, depending on the MDAs.

He denied having been involved in job racketeering, alleging that he only acted on the instruction of Dankaka, who was allegedly receiving the money in cash.

According to him, she often gave me verbal instruction in respect of people paying for jobs and lodgment after the collection of the agreed amount.

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“The money is always sent to my account, which I subsequently cashed and send to her in cash,” he said.

Kolo said his redeployment to AMCON was with the knowledge of the chairman of the commission.

”My going to AMCON was her personal favour to me and others that left FCC at the time,” he said.

He, however, accused the chairman of going after him, when her sister was rejected at AMCON due to age factor.

Kolo said the sister in question was already 51 at the time she was offered the job at AMCON.

He said that he had been receiving several calls threatening his life and sought the protection of the committee.

He warned that the FCC chairman should be held responsible, should anything sinister happen to him.

Kolo also said that the chairman’s claim that FCC had not carried out recruitment since her assumption of office was not true.

He said that as a desk officer of IPPIS in FCC, he could confirm that the commission carried out recruitments at different times.

“I am the desk officer of IPPIS for FCC and over 300 employment letters were issued but those captured by FCC were few,” he said.

In a swift reaction to Kolo’s allegations, Dankaka said she never collected any money from Kolo as alleged.

She further said that it was a conspiracy between him and the other commissioners to tarnish her image.

Disturbed by the barrage of allegations, Dankaka immediately brought out a copy of the Holy Qur’an and swore never to have collected any money from Kolo as proceeds of job racketeering.

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“I have never asked him to collect money from job seekers for me,” she said.

Responding to the issues, the Chairman of the committee, Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, told Kolo that the committee was in possession of evidence that he had N38.5 million in his account, which was withdrawn from POS.

He also said that N75 million was in Kolo’s accounts in Access Bank, UBA and Eco Bank as a proceed of job racketeering

”Kolo was serving as a front for collecting money for job recruitments in the commission as against the service’ financial regulation and the extant law.

”The record I have about your account you don’t even have and the record of your service I have.

“We are not giving any judgment in FCC, we are still investigating.

”This committee will have to be judicial in nature.

“We knew why we asked Kolo to give us evidence and we must come out straight.

“We aren’t even talking about racketeering in other MDAs.

“Kolo you are not supposed to leave here without being arrested.

“As a civil servant, you are not supposed to have such huge amount in your account,” the committee chairman said.

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Police recover bodies of father, son after mysterious death

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Police recover bodies of father, son after mysterious death

Authorities in Ebonyi State have recovered the remains of a man and his son who were found dead under unclear circumstances in the Ebebe Junction area of Abakaliki.

State Police Command spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the evacuation to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

Ukandu said the deceased, identified as Mr. Light Nwodor and his son Miracle, were found lifeless, prompting swift action by officers in the area.

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“When I was called by an individual about the incident, I quickly called the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area,” he said.”They swung into action and the dead bodies have been evacuated.“The police have launched investigation into the matter.”The command will definitely inform the general public on completion of investigation.“Right now, nobody knows what caused their deaths,” he added.

He also noted that no updates had been received from the DPO regarding any arrests linked to the case.

Initial unconfirmed reports circulating online suggested that the deaths may have resulted from eating food prepared by a woman who is allegedly now at large.

Police recover bodies of father, son after mysterious death

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Many missing, one killed in Ebonyi community clash

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Ebonyi State Police Spokesperson, DSP Joshua Ukandu

Many missing, one killed in Ebonyi community clash

One person has been shot dead, two injured and many people missing in Ndiagu Amagu, Ikwo in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State following a leadership tussle. The deceased, Nwoyika Ugbaloke and Thomas Ngaragu were reportedly attacked by some gunmen, but Ugbaloke couldn’t survive the attack.

Many people are said to be missing in the attack.

It was gathered that trouble started when a faction in the community imposed N40, 000 level on all the adults in Nduche Umuomara in the community, which did not go down well with another faction in the area.

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It was also gathered that the faction that imposed the N40,000 levy on the adults was also selling lands belonging to the faction that opposed the levy.

A son of the deceased, Nwoyika Kingsley Emeka, lamented the killing of his father and called for arrest of his killers. He said the killers were moving freely in the community, sealing people’s farmlands with palm fronds and warning them never to set their feet on the farms until the fines were paid.

He alleged that the perpetrators were being protected by some highly placed persons in the community.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu said he had not received any report on the incident.

Many missing, one killed in Ebonyi community clash

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EFCC declares four persons wanted over CBEX scam

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EFCC declares four persons wanted over CBEX scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared eight suspects wanted in connection with the alleged loss of approximately N1.3trillion to Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).

Apart from two of the suspects based in Ibadan, the rest six were said to be from Idimu-Egbeda Road in Lagos.

But the EFCC has held on to two suspects it earlier arrested.

According to a notice by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Dele Oyewale, all the suspects are wanted for “fraud allegedly perpetrated on an online trading platform called Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).”

The first set of suspects, who are Nigerians, include, Oloyede, Emmanuel Uko, Adefowora Oluwanishola and Adefowora Abiodun Olaonipekun.

The foreigners are Johnson Okiroh Otieno, Israel Mbaluka, Joseph Michiro Kabera and Serah Michiro.

The Adefoworas and Michiros are suspected to be couples.

The statement described the second set of suspects as “foreign accomplices wanted by the EFCC. “

The statement added: “The public is hereby notified that the persons whose photographs appear above are suspected foreign accomplices wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fraud allegedly perpetrated on an online trading platform called Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).

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“Anybody with useful information as to their whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, llorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices or through 08093322644; its e-mail address: info@efcc.gov.ng or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies.”

Asked about those two earlier arrested, a source in EFCC said: “They are still in custody. “

The Director-General of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr Emomotimi Agama has said CBEX is unregistered with it.

He said the commission cannot be of help to the victims.

He said: “There is nothing the commission can do”.

“We are worried that this went on for long without anyone drawing our attention to it. That is why we are doing more enlightenment and asking people to come forward to report this for early detection.”

SEC said preliminary investigations revealed that  CBEX, which also operates under the corporate identity of ST Technologies International Ltd, Smart Treasure/Super Technology, had held itself out as a digital asset-trading platform, offering high returns to investors in Nigeria.

It said: “The Commission hereby clarifies that neither CBEX nor its affiliates were granted registration by the Commission at any time to operate as a Digital Assets Exchange, solicit investments from the public or perform any other function within the Nigerian capital market.”

 

EFCC declares four persons wanted over CBEX scam

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