Pension managers embezzle over one hundred million dollars. Who polices the police?

It looks like the issue of policing the police is now a global crises. In the US, the media is daily inundated with reports of police brutality, corruption, embezzlement of pension funds and official cover ups.


The Nigeria police is not to be left out in this global trend as on going case of Police Pension Funds mismanagement reveals.

prosecution witness

“While reviewing the Drivers License and account mandate card, we discovered the picture of “Mela Lamura” turned out to be Mela Esai Dangaba, Yila Lamura is actually his late son and Milly Lamura is the first accused wife”

 



Prosecution witnesses before a High Court judge, Hussein Baba Yusuf, in the capital city of Abuja, testified that 9.7 billion naira ($48.73M) was disbursed without vouchers to a lady,  Veronica Onyegbula, one of the 7 people standing trail for a Police Pension Fund fraud. Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, Uzoma Cyril Attang and Christian Madubuke are standing trail for an estimated 24 billion naira ($120.56M) missing from the Police Pension Fund.

According to premiumtimes.ng the prosecution tendered copies of checks drawn from the account of Esai Dangaba, a draft of FCMB issued to AMSAR International, Fixed deposit slips of N198million for AMD Global Concept, Company papers of Damule Nigeria Limited, future Logistics Technology, Marine Logistics and Leisure Integrated Limited, document of one billion naira worth investment from Skye Bank among others.

The witness further testified that the team wrote another local bank, FCMB, to obtain bank statements and instruments used in crediting and debiting the account and other relevant documents of Damule Nigeria limited. Correspondence with FCMB revealed that the directors of the company were the wife and two sons of Esai Dangaba, the first accused, using the names Milly Lamura, Yila Lamura(deceased) and Mela Lamura. Also tendered in evidence was fake Drivers License issued to Mela Lamura. 

A prosecution witness Mustapha Gadanya, told the court: “While reviewing the Drivers License and account mandate card, we discovered the picture of “Mela Lamura” turned out to be Mela Esai Dangaba, Yila Lamura is actually his late son and Milly Lamura is the first accused wife,”

Meanwhile, the witness disclosed that the Federal Road Safety Commission, in response to a request by the EFCC, replied that the drivers’ license used in opening the accounts were not issued by it. Expert analysis of Damule account showed a turnover of seven billion naira ($38.64M), between March 18, 2009 to February 24, 2010 with most of the inflow occurring when Mr. Dangabar was director of the police pension office.

He further disclosed that the account recorded cash deposit of N233 million on April3,2009 in 40 different tranches between N2 to N2.5million. “We discovered that between April 1, 2009 to 18 February, 2010 over N971m was fixed into deposit account by the defendant in FCMB…, over N983million was transferred to another account of same Damule in Skye bank, ” Mr. Gadanya said.


... Are you tired of reading yet? 
This beggers the imagination, considering that these are folks sworn to uphold the law, instead running a ponzi scheme on their colleagues. 
They know better and hopefully will return the loot and bag lengthy incaceration.