The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the
Managing Director of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) Ibrahim
Abdulsalam and four others before Justice Kuewumi Babs of the Federal High
Court Lagos on 21 counts of conspiracy, forgery and money laundering.
The accused persons are alleged to have conspired and stole the sum of N6,
922,676,815 from the agency.
Recall that ORDERPAPER.NG had exclusively reported on March 8 that the
EFCC was set to arraign the NAMA officials in court soon following
mind-boggling revelations by those so far picked up for interrogation
(incumbent MD Abdulsalam and former MD Nnamdi Udoh and 8 other officials).
Click to read here:
http://www.orderpaper.ng/n2bn-
ORDERPAPER.NG had also exclusively reported on February 13th how both
Abdulsalam and Udoh single-handedly signed off payments of over N3 billion
on questionable contracts between 2013 and 2015, breaching civil service
rules on approval limits in the process. (Click link to read here-
http://www.orderpaper.ng/
The NAMA officials were accused of stealing the agency’s funds through
fictitious procurement contracts and fraudulent cash advances.
At the arraignment yesterday, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to
the charges read before them.
Prosecution Counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) prayed the court to remand the
accused in prison custody while they await trial date.
Individual Defending Counsels for the five accused pleaded with the court
to remand his client in the EFCC custody pending bail application hearing;
instead of in prison
Justice Kuewumi Babs however upheld the submission of the prosecution and
ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody while
adjourning the matter to April 12, 2016 for hearing of bail applications.
The accused persons are Ibrahim Abdulsalam, Managing Director of the
agency; Nnamdi Udoh, former Managing Director; Adegorite Olumuyiwa,
General Manager, Procurement; Agbolade Segun, General Manager, Finance;
Clara Aliche, Director Finance; Joy Ayodele Adegorite, Randville
Investment Limited and Multeng Travels and Tours Limited.