JAMB Official Reveals Truth Behind Missing N36million Naira

JAMB official, Philomina Chieshe,today retracted a statement she made some weeks ago that the board’s N36 million was swallowed by a strange snake.

Chieshe, had earlier said that a mysterious snake had swallowed the money which was gotten from the sale of JAMB scratch cards in JAMB office, Makurdi, Benue State.

However, while appearing before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC), she confessed that the money was collected by one Samuel Umoru, who’s her superior.

A fact sheet released by the EFCC indicated that Chieshe was first quizzed on February 16th, 2017 and she made additional statements on April 7 and 13 2017, May 30, 2017 and June 28, 2017.

In a statement made to the EFCC by Chieshe, She claimed that her boss usually asked her to withdraw proceeds of the sale of the Scratch Cards from her account in two new generation banks

She said, “ This money I withdrew, the coordinator used it for the office and some time for himself.

She claimed she had been warning Umoru that it wasnt right to use the money meant for the office use for personal or private businesses, but he wouldnt listen. She also said that Umoru had the habit of drawing IOU from the proceeds of the sale of the cards without informing her. Some of the withdrawals which she claimed were at the behest of the coordinator included the N340,000 withdrawn on May 5 and 26, 2014 with ATM card. She also disclosed that she used her ATM card to withdraw N120,000 for the coordinator between June 17 and 18, 2014. “He instructed me to withdraw N640,000, using my card between June 30, 2014 and July 7, 2014.

She added, “The investigating team had verified the withdrawals after a careful analysis of the statements of account of the suspect. Umoru had also been arrested and questioned about claims by Chieshe. Umoru did not deny the allegations.

“He was, however, released on administrative bail but had been reporting monthly to the anti- graft agency. The interesting aspect of the disclosure is that Chieshe’s statement was obtained long before the snake and Naira swallowing testimony became public knowledge.”

While speaking before the EFCC, she said there was no case of any snake swallowing the money, and was quoted to have said that her superior, the coordinator at the Makurdi office had asked her to withdraw the N36million.

Naija News gathered that other JAMB officials being investigated for various money laundering occurrencies include Tanko Labaran who could not account for N23 million from sale of scratch cards at the Nasarawa office, and Yakubu Jakada who is yet to explain the whereabouts of N20 million e-facilities cards sold in Kano office.

Bail were granted to all suspects pending the outcome of the anti-graft agency’s investigations.