A Nigerian civil servant has been arrested and arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, for buying a $140,000 US property. The director in the Federal Ministry of Education, Victor Igboanugo, who was also accused of taking kickbacks worth millions of naira, was arraigned before before Justice V. B. Ashi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja.

The suspect who was accused of using his office and position to also commit fraud worth N162m, allegedly bought the property in the US whose cost was above his legitimate income as a Deputy Director of Procurement at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. It was alleged that while being the Secretary of the Ministerial Tenders’ Board at the Ministry of Environment, he facilitated the award of multiple contracts to private companies where he held personal interests.

“He was further accused of receiving N20m kickback through one of his companies, Phinavic Ventures Limited, from the Chief Executive Officer of Lufem Engineering Limited, Mr Asiwaju Adekanbi, after the award of a contract for the construction of a skills acquisition centre.”

The defendant who pleaded not guilty to the charges, was granted bail in the sum of N2m with one surety in like sum, who must be an officer not below Grade Level 14 in the Federal Civil Service. The case was adjourned till June 19, 2019, for trial.

Share on:  Whatsapp  Twitter  Facebook