EFCC arraigns ex-police paymaster, others for N1.3bn fraud

A retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ifeoma Okpalugo, has
been brought before a Lagos State Special Offences Court by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged N1.3bn
fraud.

Okpalugo is standing trial alongside three others – Olumide
Odumosu, Suleiman Tegina and Helen Nwafor, and two companies – Yus
Investment Nigeria Limited and Olivia Osmond Nigeria Limited

Our correspondent learnt that the retired ACP and the
co-defendants had between 2013 and 2014 allegedly diverted the sum
of N1,301,334,108.00 belonging to the Nigeria Police Force to their
personal use.

Our correspondent learnt that the diverted sum was meant for the
payment of the salaries of the officers of the NPF.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, the defendants were arraigned on 14
counts bordering on conspiracy and stealing.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to the EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, the alleged
offences are contrary to Section 409 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos
State, 2011 and the suspects are liable to be punished under
Section 285 (1) of the Act.

The charge read in part, “Ogbadu Joseph (now at large), Hassan
Paiko Mohammed (now at large), Sule Yusuf Tegina, Olu Odumosu,
Helen Nwafor, Okpalugo Ifeoma, Olu Osmond Nigeria Limited and Jemmy
Yus Investment Nigeria Limited, sometime in 2013 in Nigeria within
the jurisdiction of this court, conspired among yourselves to
commit felony, to wit: stealing of the sum of N1,301,334,108.00,
property of the Nigeria Police Force.

“Ogbadu Joseph (now at large), Hassan Paiko Mohammed (now at
large) Olumide Odumosu, between May 21, 2013 and November 29, 2013,
in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court,
dishonestly converted for personal use the sum of N6,250,000.00,
property of the Nigeria Police Force.”

Oyedepo, who told the court that the pleas of the defendants
showed that they had put themselves up for trial, prayed the court
for an accelerated hearing.

The defence counsel, O. A. Osinfowora, applied for the bail of
the defendants on the grounds that the they were entitled to
bail.

He promised that the defendants would not interfere with
investigations and that they had never been convicted of any
offence.

However, Oyedepo objected to the application, saying the facts
contained in the affidavit showed that the defendants could not
sustain their application for bail made through their defence
counsel.

He added that some of the defendants were still at large and
urged the court to order that the arraigned defendants be held in
custody pending their trial.

The presiding judge, Justice Sherifat Solebo, adjourned till
November 20 for ruling on the bail application and commencement of
trial.