The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are on a serious manhunt for an accomplice of Abba Moro who was indicted in the NIS job scam and has since gone into hiding.
Former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked for the help of the International Police (INTERPOL) and other agencies in the United Kingdom (UK) to track down and arrest Mahmood Ahmadu, an associate of former Minister of Interior Abba Moro.
This is owing to the fact that Moro’s and Ahmadu’s trial is due to start today at an Abuja High Court, and Mahmood Ahmadu is nowhere to be found. It has been revealed that Ahmadu, who shuttles between Lagos and London, has since disappeared and cannot be found.
Abba Morro, Mahmood Ahmadu and his company Drexel Tech. Nigeria Ltd and a former Permanent Secretary, Mrs Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia and F. O. Alayebami, will face an 11-count charge filed by the anti-graft agency last Tuesday.
All have been accused by the EFCC of allegedly mismanaging N676 million collected from over 600,000 applicants.
The EFCC spokesman said last night: ”Former Interior Minister Moro will on February 29 (today) be arraigned on an 11- count charge before Justice Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“We may enlist INTERPOL and relevant agencies in the UK to track down Mahmood Ahmadu. He used to have companies in the UK and with his biometrics, there is no hiding place for him.
“We have already watch-listed him. This makes him a security risk wherever he goes. It is in his interest to come out of hiding.”
Speaking on how the money collected from the applicants was lavished and mismanaged, the EFCC revealed that about N202.5 million was allegedly lavished on property – No. 1, Lahn Crescent Maitama, Abuja and No. 2 Sigure Close, Off Monrovia Street, Wuse II Abuja, which was upgraded with N120.1 million.
The commission said the recruitment firm, Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and Ahmadu converted N101.2 million to US dollars for personal use. The houses were bought in 2015.
All the accused persons, including Moro, will face trial for alleged Advance Fee Fraud, abuse of Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007, misconduct contrary to Section 22(5) of the Independent Corrupt Practices Act 2000 and offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act 2011.
It would be recalled that nineteen applicants died and scores got injured in job stampede in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Minna in March 2014.
Just last week Ahmadu whose company was involved in the scam, shut down three of his United Kingdom (UK) companies and resigned as a director of another firm last month and brought in new directors for another one based in Jersey, a UK-dependant outpost located on Channel Island. Ahmadu and his firm, Drexel Tech Global Ltd, coordinated the tragic recruitment in March 2014.
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