Alleged embezzlement: court orders arrest of three REA employees

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered the arrest of three employees of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) for failing to appear during their arraignment on multiple charges of alleged fraud and misappropriation of public funds.

The staff members, respectively Emmanuel Pada Titus, Henrietta Onormen Okojie and Umar Musa Karaye, had earlier been granted administrative bail by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), over allegations of fraud, The association of criminals and embezzlement of public funds amounting to 1.835 billion Naira.

In the charges presented by Osuoben Ekoi Akpanimisingha, Deputy Legal Director of ICPC, Titus is charged for the alleged misappropriation of N261 million, while Okojie is charged for the misappropriation of N342 million and Karaye, for N165 million. of naira.

Okojie had sought court permission to have the trio arrested for willfully failing to appear in court, despite having full details of their indictment by the commission.

Citing Article 114 and Article 184 of the Criminal and Judiciary Law respectively, the complainant informed that he had personally served the accused with the charge notices on May 29, 2024, with the details of the appearances clearly indicated, but that the defendants in their notices did not appear for their arraignments.

Recall that the investigations carried out by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Commission Against Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses, as well as by the Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives, had revealed payment outflows amounting to 1.835 billion Naira.

The alleged disbursements were paid in installments to six personal accounts of some senior agency officials.

The indictments co-signed by Henry Empire, Director of Legal Services, and Osuoben Ekoi Akponimisinghi, ICPC Deputy Legal Counsel, indicate that a total of N1.835 billion was paid by Abubakar Abdullahi Sambo in installments to the defendants.

The court had adjourned the further arraignment of Emmanuel Pada Titus, Henrietta Onormen Okojie and Umar Musa Karaye to June 13, 2024 and that of Usman Ahmed Kwakwa to June 14, 2024 respectively.

Recall also that in March 2024, President Bola Tinubu indefinitely suspended Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). The suspension follows an investigation into the financial activities of the agency and the alleged diversion of N1.2 billion into personal accounts.