The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has arraigned an Assistant Superintendent of Nigerian Immigration Services, NIS, Abubakar Mohammed Aseku, for allegedly drawing salaries from two additional Federal Government agencies to the tone of N17.6 million.
Aseku was arraigned before Justice Binta Dogonyaro of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Apo, Abuja, on Tuesday. He was charged with nine-counts bordering on abuse of office and corruption.
According to the ICPC, the defendant allegedly received N4.2 million in salaries from the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology in 2015, as a schoolteacher. This was despite being on active duty with the NIS.
ICPC further accused the defendant of drawing N13.4 million in salaries from the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR. This happened between 2018 and 2019, while he was employed by the Nigerian Immigration Service.
The Commission added that Aseku, as a Pay Officer with the NIS, allegedly facilitated the payment of N4.7 million in salaries to seven individuals who were neither employees of the NIS nor on its payroll.
DAILY POST reports that the charges reads: “That you, Abubakar Mohammed Aseku, between October 2018 and October 2019, in Abuja, while serving as an Assistant Superintendent Immigration Officer, used your position to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself by receiving a total sum of N13,400,889.90 in salaries from the Department of Petroleum Resources while concurrently employed by the Nigerian Immigration Service. Thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
In his response, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges. This is as his counsel, Basil Hemba, informed the court that his client had previously been granted bail by another FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja. He, therefore, urged the court to maintain the existing bail terms.
The presiding judge, Justice Dogonyaro upheld the bail conditions previously granted by the Maitama court.
The ICPC’s counsel, Michael Adesola, requested for an adjournment to allow the prosecution to present its witnesses.
Justice Dogonyaro subsequently adjourned the case to April 29, 2025 for further hearing.
source: Daily Post