By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja
The Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and aquited the former minister of Interior, Abba Moro, of the charges of fraud arising from the conduct of the botched 2014 Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment in 2014.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba in his ruling, held that the prosecution failed that proved that the Minister Representing the Benue South Constituency in the Senate abused his office as alleged.
On the 2nd defendant, the former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, the court found her guilty of count four of the charge. ‘’Having found that she was responsible for total compliance to the BPA, having found out that there is no approval from BPA before inviting the firm the court found her guilty,’’ the court held.
However, she was discharged and acquitted on charge 11, on the ground that she had left the ministry before the commencement of the recruitment exercise.
Also, the court discharged and acquitted the Deputy Director in the ministry, Mr. Femi Alayebami,3rd Defendant) of the count 11.
‘’I see no involvement of the 3rd defendant in the recruitment exercise. I thereby discharge and acquitted the 3rd.’’
Meantime, the court adjourned to April 27 for sentencing.
In the course of the trial, the prosecution called 12 witnesses and 57 documentary exhibits on November 25, 2019 to prove their case.
Sequel to the prosecution closing their case, Boro applied for no case submission, insisting that the prosecution has no prima facial a case against him.
Ruling on the no case submission, Justice Dimgba discharged and acquitted the defendants in respect of Counts 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
The court held that the defendants has a case to answer in Counts 2, 4, and 5 relating to violation of Public Procurement Act, 2007, and Count 11 relating to alleged lack of security safeguard for the physical part of the recruitment process and ordered them to open their defence.
The prosecution agency accused Moro, and his co-defendants of 11-count charge offences bordering on obtaining money by pretext, procurement fraud and money laundering.
According to the antigraft agency, the defendants allegedly defrauded 675,675 graduate applicants of N675,675,000, with each of the applicants made to pay N1,000 to access an e-portal to apply for job openings.
The recruitment exercise held in March 2014, led to the death of 15 applicants, as many others were injured in stampedes in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Minna.
Other defendants in the matter are a former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, a Deputy Director in the ministry, Mr. Femi Alayebami and Drexel Tech. Nigeria Limited, the contractor that carried out the botched NIS recruitment on behalf of the ministry.
