ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi
Police in Bauchi state has arrested no fewer than five staff of the Local Government Pension Board in the state for breach of trust, criminal conspiracy, misappropriation, forgery and fraud amounting to N21,580,000.
The Bauchi State Command’s Spokesman, Ahmed Wakil, made the disclosure in a media statement made available to journalists in the state on Saturday.
He said they were arrested following a complaint lodged by the Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to the Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, and addressed to the Commissioner of Police in the state.
Wakil, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said that those arrested are the Auditor, Computer Operator and three staff of the the Pension Board.
He added that the suspects inserted seven illegal names of pensioners and fraudulently siphoned various sums of money for a period ranging from six to 36 months.
“On the 12th September 2020, at about 1.00pm, a letter of complaint from the office of Executive Governor Bauchi State signed by Musa Mohammed Kirfi, PPS to the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, against the following suspects, Mohammed B. Mohammed – Auditor of the Board, Musa Bappayo – Computer Operator of the Board and Samaila Musa, all staff of Local Government Pension Board.
“The complaint was received through the office of Commissioner of Police for discrete investigation,” he stated.
“When interrogated,” he added, “the above-mentioned persons confessed to have inserted about seven (7) illegal beneficiaries’ names into the pensions records fraudulently as Mohammed Namamu (aka Muhammadun Faiza, Unity Bank) and Abubakar Muazu (Access Bank).
“These two were the candidates/beneficiaries introduced by Samaila Musa, Male, (38) of Federal Low-cost who inserted above-mentioned names and none of them is a civil servant of the state.
“They were found to have been receiving N65,000 and N85,000 monthly for 18 months which accumulated to N2,700,000.”
Wakil also said that, “Yasir Sulaiman (37) who resides behind the Old Airport, had two candidates, for whom he received N320,000 monthly for 23 months which accumulated to N7,360,000.
“Similarly, Garba Bala, Male, (39) of Tirwun Bauchi who introduced two candidates had been receiving N300,000 monthly for 36 months, which accumulated to N10,800,000.”
According to him, also Umar Mohammed Madara, (49) of Ibrahim Bako area of Bauchi, had one candidate, for whom he received N120,000 monthly for six (6) months, which accumulated to N720,000.
He said that “all suspects mentioned above have been arrested investigation is in progress, while efforts are in top gear to arrest the other fleeing suspects.”