Court Remands 2 REA Staff Over Alleged N1.8bn Fraud

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has remanded two staff of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) pending the hearing of a N1.835 billion fraud allegation against them.

The two staff, Umar Musa Karaye and Emmanuel Pada Titus, were brought before the court over allegation of N1.835bn fraud.

They were arraigned alongside two others by the Independent and Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) before Justice Emeka Nwite, over alleged fraud, criminal conspiracy and diversion of public funds amounting to N1.835bn.

Dr Osuoben Ekoi Akpanimisingha, assistant Chief Legal Officer of the ICPC, during the arraignment, had told the court that the defendants had been personally served by him to appear before the court on June 6, 2024 but failed to appear, despite having full details of their arraignments by the anti-graft commission.

In the four-count charges obtained by journalists, the anti-graft agency accused the defendants of receiving the sums of N165m and N261m respectively in different tranches under the false pretence of project supervision thereby committed an offence contrary to the Advanced Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

Parts of the counts read: “That you Umar Musa Karaye (M) sometimes in March 2023 or there about while being a public officer in the employment of REA at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, did with intent to defraud the said REA received the sum of N165m (One hundred and sixty five million naira only) in different tranches through your first bank account -2031253389 under the false presence of project supervision and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advanced Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

“That you Umar Musa Karaye (M) sometimes in March, 2023 or thereabout while being a public officer in the employment of REA at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, did take possession of the sum of N165m (One hundred and sixty five million naira only) in different tranches through your first bank account -2031253389 when you reasonably bought to have known that such fund forms parts of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2)(d) and punishable under section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

The court adjourned the case to June 20, 2024, for bail hearing and July 10, 2024, for commencement of trial of the accused.