The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will on Friday arraign the official of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Philomena Chieshe and five others for N35 million fraud.
The JAMB official and five others, Samuel Umoru, Yakubu Jekada, Daniel Agbo, Priscilla Ogunsola, and Aliyu Yakubu will appear before Justice Peter Afen of a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, following their involvement in the fraud.
Some time ago, the JAMB official officer in Benue State, had made the ridiculous claim that a mysterious snake had swallowed about N35 million cash arising from the sale of e-JAMB cards in the state.
The EFCC prosecuting the JAMB official on an eight-count charge, after she had failed to give the true report of the funds from the sale of JAMB e-cards supplied to the Benue Zonal office between 2014 and 2016.
An EFCC investigator, who probed her and seven other heads of JAMB offices nationwide, where widespread stealing took place, said:
“Philomena ought to know that the shortfall in the unremitted e-JAMB cards, which she claimed disappeared as a result of manipulation from the kingdom of darkness, is false and untenable before the law.
“The shameful action of the suspect breaches Section 139 (a) of the Penal Code Law,” the officer said.
One of the charges in case No. CR/339/19 filed before the FCT High Court and dated May 17, 2019 reads: “That you, Samuel Sale Umoru and Philomena Chieshe between August 2014 and July 2016 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court conspired among yourselves to misappropriate funds belonging to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, an agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria and you, therefore, committed an offence contrary to Section 97 (2) of the Penal Code Law”.
“That you, Samuel Sale Umoru and Philomena Chieshe between August 2014 and July 2016 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court while being state coordinator and clerical officer of the state office of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said properties and you thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable by Section 315 of the Penal Code Law.
“That you, Samuel Sale Umoru and Philomena Chieshe between August 2014 and July 2016 in Abuja and Benue State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court while being state coordinator and clerical officer of the state office of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, an agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria and you, therefore, committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 309 of the same law.
