The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday intensified its crackdown on financial crimes as it dragged senior National Assembly officials, a husband and wife, two individuals and a company before courts in Abuja, Lagos and Ado-Ekiti over separate allegations of fraud, theft and illicit conversion of funds totaling about N1.99 billion
The EFCC on Monday moved to re-arraign three senior officials of the National Assembly before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Jikwoyi, Abuja, over an alleged N337.06 million fraud.
The defendants are Aishatu Bappa El-Nafaty, Director of the Public Affairs Department in the Directorate of Special Duties and Parliamentary Security; Mamud Abubakar, a former Permanent Secretary in the services of the National Assembly; and Igba Ityoakura Joseph, a Deputy Director of Procurement.
They are facing an amended 23-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, criminal breach of trust, official corruption and illegal conversion of National Assembly funds amounting to N337,062,350.
However, the planned re-arraignment was stalled after Muhammed Ndayako, counsel to the second defendant, filed a preliminary objection challenging several counts in the amended charge.
