N8bn diversion: JAMB directors, other officials in hot soup

…How Oloyede’s remittance of N8.7bn triggered massive probe
…EFCC set to prosecute errant JAMB officials, ‘snake swallowing N36m’ cashier
Two Directors from the Joint Matriculations Board (JAMB) who were allegedly fingered as key suspects in the diversion of over N8 billion revenue may be arrested any moment from now for interrogation by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The two Directors, one serving, the other retired (names withheld), are set to be quizzed by the anti-graft commission in relation to what they know about the missing fund which has generated puzzles as to how such huge amount could disappear into thin air.

A source, who confided in The Daily Times on Friday, disclosed that the commission has received an audit report from the forensic audit committee and all is now set for the JAMB officials to be quizzed in order to state what they know about the diverted fund.

The Federal Government is said to have lost over N8 billion between 2010 and 2015 due to the non-remittance of the accrued revenues by the examination body. This amount include unremitted Value Added Tax and Withholding Tax.

In the wake of the remittance of N7.8 billion to the Federal Government by the Ishaq Oloyede- led management of the examination body, the Federal Government, working on the suspicion that the previous management had defrauded the federation of billions in unremitted revenues, had ordered a forensic audit of the accounts of JAMB for that period of five years.

The source further informed our correspondent that the report of the forensic audit committee, turned in some months ago was subsequently forwarded to the EFCC by the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, for criminal investigation and possible prosecution of culprits.

Following the submission of the audit report, the Commission set up a crack investigative panel to review the report and take further investigative steps to bring the indicted culprits to book.

The source said: “We are looking at a number of accounts with suspicious inflows and outflows.

“From the detailed analyses of the accounts, we have identified a few officers that would help our investigations because funds have been traced to their accounts. Very soon, we will be inviting them for questioning.

“Among the officers that we may invite are a serving director and a retired director of the examination body”.

Meanwhile, the anti-graft agency is set to prosecute a number of officers of JAMB already indicted in the investigation over the loss of revenues from sale of scratch cards by some of the state offices of the examination body.

Among the official that may be arraigned in court any moment from now is an official based in Makurdi, Benue State, Philomina Chieshe, who claimed that a mysterious snake swallowed N36million.

The money was part of the proceeds of the sale of scratch cards. Chieshe, who was arrested few ago by the EFCC, allegedly told the operatives that the money was collected on instalment basis from her by her Coordinator, Mr. Samuel Umoru.

She further claimed that the coordinator usually asked her to withdraw proceeds of the sale of the cards from her account in two banks.

“This money that I withdraw, the coordinator used it for the office and some time for himself,” she added.