IDP Feeding: EFCC arrests Adamawa PDP chairman, others over N586m theft

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday alleged the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Adamawa State, Abdurahman Bobboi, of diverting N586m meant for feeding Internally Displaced Persons.

A former Commissioner for Finance in the state, Sanda Lamurde, and doubling as the Chairman, Adamawa State Committee on Internally Displaced Persons’ Welfare, was also indicted by the anti-graft agency.

The EFCC also arraigned Feredan George, the Chief Store Officer of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency,.

The three accused persons were charged before Justice Bilikisu Aliyu of a Federal High Court sitting in Adamawa.

The EFCC, which slammed 26 charges border on stealing, forgery and uttering against the three officials, accused them of conspiring among themselves to divert over N586m released by the Adamawa State Government for the welfare of displaced persons in 2015.

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The accused officials were arraigned on a 26 count charge ranging from forgery to stealing. The EFCC alleged the trio of conniving to launder about N586m disbursed by the government of Adamawa to cater for the internally displaced persons in 2015.

One of the charges read in part, “That you Sanda Jonathan Lamurde and Feredan George, while being the Commissioner for Finance and Chairman, Committee on Internally Displaced Persons’ Welfare; and the Chief Store Officer at State Emergency Management Agency all of the Adamawa State Government respectively, in such capacities, sometime between March and May 2015 in Yola,  Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court,  the Federal High Court of Nigeria, did fraudulently converts to your own use,  monies, the sum of N379, 557, 500 from the monies provided for the purchase of food items and welfare of the IDPs of Adamawa state, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 383 and Punishable under Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Act respectively,  Cap C38 LFN, 2004.”

However, the accused individuals pleaded not guilty to the 26 count charge.

Therefore, while dismissing the oral bail application asked for by the suspects, the prosecution counsel, Abubakar Aliyu, requested for a date for trial.

The judge ruled that the suspects be remanded in police custody, while awaiting the result of their bail. He consequently adjourned the case till November 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 November, 2017 for trial

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