The trial of Ibrahim Ahmed Mazangari, Muhammed Sani Sulaiman, Hajia Fatima
Mazangari and Saleh Yerima Tsojon, who allegedly ran a syndicate that
defrauded the Federal Government to the tune of N1.2 billion in a pension
scam, continued on Monday, November 2, 2015 with the prosecution witness
giving insight into how they carried out the fraud.
Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, O. A. Atolagbe, the witness,
Roukayya Ibrahim, an investigator with the EFCC and member of the Pension
Fraud team, told the court that the fraud was uncovered in 2010 while the
Head of Service pension board was being probed.
“We received intelligence of the syndicate operating in Kaduna being led
by Hajia Fatima Mazangari, and we immediately commenced investigations,”
she said.
The accused persons, according to her, used two companies – Xangee
Technologies Limited and Century Construction Company Limited, to
perpetrate the fraud. She told the court that Xangee Technologies Limited,
which is owned by Mazangari was offered a biometric contract by a former
HoS, Steve Oronsaye, to regularize names of pensioners on the pensions’
payroll, but smuggled in names of fake pensioners (including his own
name), and collected unearned pension.
“Investigations revealed that Xangee, an IT firm was paid about N153
million for the biometric contract, but we found out that the process of
awarding the contract did not follow due process as there was no contract
bidding, yet payment was made,” she said.
The second accused person, according to Roukayya, used three variants of
his name to open three different pension accounts, to which a total of
about N24 million of pension payments at different times were paid; the
money was afterwards withdrawn and handed over to Fatima.
She added: “During investigations, it was also discovered that Saleh
Yerima Tsojon who at the time was serving his mandatory NYSC service in
Calabar, was receiving pension payment which amounted to about N23
million.”
The four accused persons are being prosecuted by the EFCC, on a 29-count
charge bordering on conspiracy, and collecting by false pretence. They are
alleged to have obtained N1.2 billion from the FG purporting same to be
monthly pension payable to M. S. Suleiman, Saleh Yerima Tsojon, Isah U.
Adamu, Daniel Mikano, and Abdulahi Garba Musa who were falsely held out as
pensioners, by inserting their names in the pensioners’ payroll.
Justice Talba has fixed November 3, 2015 for further hearing.