Indigenes raised alarm about N127m fraud at Lagos scholarship board – EFCC.
Indigenes raised the alarm concerning the N127m fraud at Lagos scholarship board, EFCC explained.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) talked about the situation on Monday, March 8. They stated that Lagos indigenes complained about the N127 million fraud at the Lagos State Scholarship Board.
Usman Adamu is an Investigator with the anti-graft agency, submitted the complaint to an Ikeja Special Offences Court. In the process of a trial-within-trial of Stephen Oshinowo, former Executive Secretary of the board, Adamu testified because it was necessary for the case to be solved.
Oshinowo is on trial for eight counts of criminal conversion of N127 million that belong to the scholarship board. The EFCC Lead Prosecutor, Mr. A.O. Mohammed, brought in the evidence. Mr. Adamu said he was in charge of the team investigating the allegation of embezzlement of funds at the board.
“Sometime in 2019, the commission received information from some citizens, complained that money meant to pay students scholarships was converted by the Lagos State Scholarship Board. “They alleged that the diverted funds were done in collaboration with some staff of the board.
“We investigated the claims, and in the process of our Investigation, we called the defendant and his wife, and they came to our office on November 26, 2019.
“As our discussions with him progressed, we notified him about the accusation leveled against him and some of his co-workers; we told him to respond, and he responded in writing,” Adamu said.
The investigator explained that Oshinowo wrote his statement in his wife and two lawyers’ presence, adding that he was not forced or tortured to write his report. “On the same day, which was November 26, 2019, we could not conclude.
The defendant said that he was tired of writing. “The following day, the defendant continued with writing his statement, and the accused was informed about bail conditions,” Adamu said.
While being investigated by defense counsel, Mr… Lawal Pedro (SAN), Adamu denied that Oshinowo became sick while in the custody of the EFCC. He went to the hospital for treatment. He said that Lagos natives alerted the EFCC about the fraud.
“The state government did not make a complaint; it was the general public that complained. the witness said, “The money belongs to Lagos State citizens,”
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo moved the case to March 31 for the trial-within-trial to continue. NAN reports that while the proceedings went on precisely on February 22, another EFCC investigator, Ms. Moday Moley, explained to the court how Oshinowo mismanaged the scholarship fund.
According to her, some of the money was meant for staff welfare and renovating the office, but he used it for his personal use. “Investigation also revealed that the defendant gave part of the money to his wife, Adenike.
She paid for flight trips, supermarket transactions. He kept some of the money in a fixed deposit account.
” The defendant is the last signatory of the board’s account at First City Monument Bank. Therefore, without his signature, no transaction happens,” Moley said. [NAN]
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