EFCC grills 20 NSCDC contractors, 10 officers over N7.5bn fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is investigating 10 senior officers in the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for an alleged N7.5 billion scam.

The anti-corruption bureau has also invited ten contractors involved in the alleged fraud.

On April 26, 2024, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede wrote a letter to the NSCDC CG asking the ten indicted NSCDC personnel for questioning.

According to a document obtained exclusively by our correspondent, the officers involved were due to be questioned by the EFCC on May 2, 2024, and thereafter.

The ten invited NSCDC officers are Victor Olanrewaju Fayemi, Anthony Akpan Uwen, Patrick Babatunde, Comfort Danladi, Akibi Michael Olusola, Umaru Usman Karshi, Adewale Kukoyi, Joseph Ajayi Ibitulo, and Mrs. A.A. Jonathan, Paul Ahepa, according to the EFCC invitation.

The suspected N7.5 billion fraud was linked to numerous contractors, with the funds traceable to several Bureau de Change operators, through whom senior NSCDC officers allegedly laundered the money.

Our correspondent learned about the development from impeccable sources who were aware of it but were not permitted to speak to the press due to the delicate nature of the situation.

A source revealed, “The EFCC is investigating the alleged diversion of N7.5bn by contractors working with the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Audi.

“The funds shared in contractors’ accounts have been identified and linked to BDC operators, all of whom were invited and have been grilled by the EFCC interrogators.”

It was discovered that the contractors involved in the alleged scam were also summoned for interrogation as the EFCC probe continued.

A source stated, “EFCC investigators discovered that payments were made to a total of 20 contractors, while the sum of N2bn was allocated to three major contractors, each of whom owns five companies. Each of the contractors received a retention fee of five percent. The EFCC has sent invitation letters to the contractors.

“All the contractors have been interrogated except for the only woman among them who has been working tirelessly to avoid interrogation. The woman received over N1bn, and all the funds were discovered to have been converted to US dollars.”

Another reliable source confirmed the news, revealing that the indicted contractors provided important information that led to the EFCC recovering approximately N1 billion.

The source said, “The contractors made useful statements that led to the recovery of approximately N1bn by the EFCC.

“One of the contractors informed us that they were planning to start a protest at the office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to seek assistance, as they feel that Ribadu is the only senior Federal Government official who can help them reach out to the NSCDC CG.

“They confessed that they applied for jobs as contractors, only to learn that the jobs were already executed on their behalf by senior NSCDC officers.”

Further information revealed that a certain indicted contractor, among others, had not responded to the EFCC’s invitation. The contractor claimed to have received N1 billion.

“It was discovered that at the NSCDC, these payments were meant for jobs that had already been executed, but the contractors whose companies’ names were attached to the contracts had not been paid,” the source said.

Meanwhile, our correspondent learned that EFCC investigators revealed that NSCDC staff members were underpaid during the recently concluded elections, citing NSCDC sources who said that the staff members were underpaid in comparison to staff members at other sister agencies.