Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
on Wednesday re-arrested the serving Permanent Secretary in the Federal
Ministry of Labour and Employment, Clement Onubuogo, over an alleged SURE-P
fraud.
Onubuogo was picked up on the premises of the Federal High
Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he was already facing trial over alleged diversion
of funds from the SURE-P programme inaugurated by former President Goodluck
Jonathan.
Apart from prosecuting him before Justice Babs Kuewumi, the
EFCC had also obtained an interim order to seize two properties belonging to
Onubuogo as well as the sums of N664,475,246.6 and $137,680.11 found in his
bank accounts.
The permanent secretary had on Wednesday appeared in court
for the continuation of his trial before Justice Kuewumi.
When the case was called, the EFCC prosecutor was absent
from the courtroom.
In the circumstance, Onubuogo’s lawyer, A. Dada, asked for
an adjournment, noting also that his client was very ill.
The judge, who was displeased with the development, said he
had adjourned several cases so as to devote enough time to the hearing of
Onubuogo’s case on Wednesday.
The judge, however, acceded to the prayer for an
adjournment, shortly after which the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi
Oyedepo, stepped into the courtroom, followed by the defence counsel, who was
already on his way out.
Dada complained to Justice Kuewumi that his client had just
been picked up by operatives of the EFCC.
He said having been granted bail by the court, it was wrong
for the EFCC to re-arrest his client.
But Oyedepo said there was no law that stopped anyone
undergoing trial from being re-arrested for another criminal matter.
“The money belongs to all of us and we should all support
efforts towards recovering it,” Oyedepo said.
The judge said having already adjourned the case, there was
nothing he could do about the re-arrest of the permanent secretary.
EFCC accused Onubuogo of acquiring properties with funds
which he allegedly diverted from SURE-P, a youth empowerment scheme launched by
ex-President Jonathan.
One of the properties is his house known as Clement Illoh’s
Mansion located at Ikom Quarters, Issala-Azegba, Delta State, while the other,
a hotel, is said to be located at No. 19, Madue Nwofor Street, off Achala Ibuzo
Road, Asaba, Delta State.
On August 17, 2017, Justice Abdulaziz Anka ordered the
temporary forfeiture of the funds and the assets following an ex parte
application moved before him by Oyedepo.
In the ex parte application, the EFCC said the funds and the
properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of stealing and bribery.
In an eight-paragraph affidavit filed in support of the ex
parte application, an investigator of the EFCC, Huleji Tukura, said the
anti-graft agency uncovered how Onubuogo diverted N876.9m out of the over N10bn
released by the Jonathan administration for the scheme.
Tukura said the EFCC also discovered that Onubuogo, who was
saddled with the responsibility of supervising the SURE-P Technical and
Vocational Educational Training, Community Service, Women and Youth Empowerment
Programmes, abused his office by collecting kickbacks from contractors.
He was also accused of fraudulently awarding contracts to
himself using front companies and some workers serving under him.
For instance, the EFCC investigator said, “Through a
fictitious contract, the respondent (Onubuogo) along with Mr. John Tsokwa and
Mr. Salisu Kura conspired and procured the sum of N29,168, 654 out of which the
sum of N10,500,000 was retained by the respondent.”
Tukura added that “The respondent (Onubuogo) received the
sum of N37,802,000, which was diverted through Agoha Joseph Emeka, a member of
staff of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment for his personal gain.
“Through Ojeagu Global Service Limited, a company owned by
his family, with an account domiciled in Zenith Bank, the respondent converted
the sum of N159,770,383.45, which he subsequently laundered.”
Onubuogo was also accused of laundering N182,529,000, which,
according to the EFCC, was found in his Access Bank and First Bank accounts
that he failed to declare.
The EFCC told Justice Anka that it had already recovered a
total of N129, 826,452 from Onubuogo’s co-conspirators such as “Salisu Kura,
Rabiu Said, Tonye Isokeiri, Buhari Dahiru, John Kanku, Ahmed Muazu, Muktar
Sufian, Udoh Nnamdi, Umar Mashi, Salogu Karo, Usman Bello and Ahmed Makki.”
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