The Sokoto zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, arraigned five management staff of the State Primary Staff Pension Board for alleged fraud of N500 million.
The money was meant for the payment of retired pension and gratuities.
The staff were arraigned before the Sokoto High Court on 28 count-charge bordering on forgery, criminal breach of trust and misappropriation, contrary to sections 92 (2), 311, of the Penal Code law CAP 89, Laws of Northern Nigeria and Sections 351, 353, 348 of the Sokoto Penal Code law 2019.
Those arraigned include Abubakar Aliyu, Secretary; Hassana Moyi, Director of Finance and Supply; Haliru Ahmad, Deputy Director of Finance and Supply; Kabiru Ahmad, Accountant and Dahiru Isa, Cashier.
According to the Zonal Head of the Commission, Usman Kaltungo the staff used forged vouchers, withdrew and shared monies meant for pension and gratuities of primary school teachers in the state, adding that the money was withdrawn in tranches.
He further said that the Commission acted on a petition brought to them by one of the affected pensioners.
“Between January 17, 2017 and March 2020, the Director of Finance withdrew the sum of N83.2 million from their account with Polaris Bank.
“During the same period, Haliru and Kabiru withdrew N203,217,770.71 and N266,567,053, respectively from the same account in the name of pensioners.
“We had to pay for the transport fares of some of the pensioners before they could come and testify and they were shocked to find out that their long-awaited pensions and gratuities had been diverted,” Kaltungo said.
The case was adjourned till June 28 for trial.
