We’re Preparing Charges Against Oyo-Ita, Others – EFCC

Operatives of the EFCC have confirmed plans to arraign Oyo-Ita for alleged fraudulent activities.

Sources at the anti-graft agency told LEADERSHIP not TheNigerialawyer last night that the commission was preparing charges against Oyo-Ita over N3 billion fraud cases.

The sources, however, said that “this kind of investigation is not something to be rushed into and hence, the reason why we are taking our time to do a thorough job and prepare charges before arraigning the embattled head of service and others involved in the crime.”

One of the sources claimed that Oyo-Ita had been unable to return to the office of the EFCC since she was granted administrative bail because she checked into a hospital.

It was gathered that after her grilling by the EFCC for several hours, the HoSF checked into a hospital for a yet-to-be disclosed ailment. The anti-graft agency grilled her on August 8, 2019.

Oyo-Ita was interrogated by the EFCC for alleged abuse of duty tour allowance, money laundering and stealing of public funds.

About N600 million has allegedly been traced to the account of one of her key aides, who was unable to explain the source of the money.

Already, the EFCC has placed a lid on the account and initiated the process of obtaining an interim forfeiture of the money to the federal government.

Preliminary investigation confirmed that about N3 billion has been traced to the HoSF in accounts of proxy companies.

Oyo-Ita’s problems started when EFCC’s operatives uncovered slush funds linked to her while probing the activities of a former minister under whom she served as permanent secretary. She allegedly used different fronts or cronies to obtain contracts from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

While tracing embezzlement by the ex-minister, detectives were said to have stumbled on the diversion of funds into proxy companies which the head of service has links with.

The startling revelations made the detectives to dig further into her activities as permanent secretary and head of service.

The EFCC said that there were proofs on how she secured contracts through proxy firms from some ministries including Special Duties, Power, Works and others.

The investigators also discovered that she was involved in the falsification of Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) and estacodes.