NIS Recruitment Tragedy: Court Delivers Judgement Over Senator, Others' Involvement
- A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has delivered its judgment on the eight-year-long trial of Senator Abba Moro and three others
- Moro and other defendants were accused of fraudulent procurement and inadequate arrangement and safeguard of applicants who applied for the 2014 NIS recruitment exercise which lead to the death of 14 applicants
- The court, however, convicted Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, a permanent secretary who was a defendant in the matter
Senator Abba Moro has been acquitted of charges of fraud over the ill-fated 2014 Nigerian Immigration Service Recruitment exercise that led to the death of 14 job seekers.
Daily Trust reports that a judgment delivered by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday, April 7, discharged Moro and two other defendants of the charges.
According to Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) failed to establish the allegation of procurement fraud against the defendants.
Source: Facebook
Delivering his judgement, Dimgba struck out the allegation of abuse of office against Moro over the inadequate arrangement and safeguard of applicants for the exercise after they paid N1,000 each
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The judge said that the comptroller general of NIS had in his testimony alleged inadequate funding but also failed to take appropriate steps to take charge of the exercise.
He also noted that the EFCC failed in its effort to prove the failure to advertise the contract which was secured by Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd.
The court, however, convicted a former permanent secretary in the ministry of interior, Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia.
According to the judgment, Nwobia's sentencing would be held on Wednesday, April 27.
The Punch reports that the court's ruling come, eight years after 667,000 applicants had applied for a NIS recruitment job.
Having paid N1,000 each for the application forms, 14 of the applicants died in a stampede that occurred during the exercise leading to the prosecution of the lawmaker who was the minister of interior at the time and three others.
Alleged fraud: Cubana Chiefpriest back to freedom as EFCC releases him after arrest, Nigerians celebrate
Popular socialite, Cubana Chiefpriest, had returned home to his family after his ordeal with the EFCC.
The southeast socialite whose real name is Pascal Okechukwu was arrested by the agency on Wednesday, March 30, for alleged involvement in money laundering.
Chiefpriest took to Instagram to thank his people for their support and also urged them to resend their birthday messages to him.
After granting Obiano bail, EFCC takes very painful action against ex-governor
Meanwhile, the former governor of Anambra state, Willie Obiano, was still under the eagle lens of the EFCC.
Hours after granting the embattled former governor bail, the anti-graft commission was said to have sealed some mansions allegedly traced to him at Ngozika Estate in Awka, the state capital.
Buildings in the massive estate said to belong to Obiano had been sealed with the ‘EFCC, Keep Off. Under Investigation’ notice on their walls by the EFCC.
Source: Legit.ng
