N586m IDPs food: Ex-Adamawa Commissioner, PDP Chairman Remanded In Custody
Justice Bilikisu Aliyu of the Federal High Court in Yola on Wednesday remanded in prison custody, Sanda Jonathan Lamurde, Abdurahman Bobboi and Feredan George.
The judge had remanded the accused persons, following their alleged involvement in stealing, forgery, uttering and diversion of N586million for food and the welfare of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Adamawa State.
The Gombe Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had brought them to court on a 26-count charge of alleged financial crime.
Lamurde, Commissioner of Finance in the administration of Bala James NGilari and Chairman, Adamawa State Committee on Internally Displaced Persons’welfare ; Bobboi , a former Chief Protocol officer to the Governor and current Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Adamawa state (member of the committee) ; and the third accused Feredan, the Chief Store Officer of the Adamawa state Emergency Management Agency allegedly conspired among themselves and diverted over N586million released by the Adamawa State Government for the welfare of IDPs.
One of the count charge reads thus: “That you Sanda Jonathan Lamurde and Feredan George while being the Commissioner for Ministry of Finance and Chairman Committee on Internally Displaced Person’s (IDP’s) welfare, the Chief Store Officer at State Emergency Management Agency all of 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 N379.56million from the monies provided for the purchase of food items and welfare of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) of Adamawa state.
According to the EFCC, the offence is contrary to Section 383 and Punishable under Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Act respectively, Cap C38 LFN, 2004.
When the 26-count charge was read to the accused persons, they pleaded not guilty to the offence.
Consequently, the prosecuting lawyer, Mr Abubakar Aliyu, asked for a date for trial while opposing the oral bail application moved by the accused.
Justice Aliyu consequently ordered the accused persons to be remanded in prison custody pending the determination of their bail applications and adjourned the suit till November 6.
