The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Makurdi Zonal Command Tuesday, 16th November 2021 presented its first witness in the alleged N24.6m fraud trial involving former chairman of Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Professor John Ibu before Justice Abdu Dogo of the Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State.
Professor Ibu is being prosecuted alongside Chief Abukenchi Suleiman and his company, ADB Motors Venters Nigeria Limited on charges of conspiracy and obtaining Twenty-Four Million, Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N24, 650,000) only by false pretence.
They allegedly obtained the said sum from the Benue State University Teaching Hospital under the guise of purchasing a Toyota Landcruiser Prado 2018 Model which they never did. The offence is contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
The 1st prosecution witness, PW1, Prof. Faromo Fende, Chief Medical Director of the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, George Chia-Yakua, narrated how the Hospital, sometimes in 2019, awarded a contract to the 2nd defendant to supply a Toyota Prado Jeep and how he failed to deliver within the stipulated time having received an advance payment in July 2019.
“After several reminders, we took the matter back to the board, the board chairman then, the 1st defendant, kept giving excuses on behalf of the vendor, citing a problem at the border of Benin Republic and Nigeria as a reason for the delay.
“In June 2020, a year after the contract was awarded, the board then threatened to take legal action or report the matter to the authorities. ADB Motors then disclosed that the then board Chairman Prof. Ibu approached them before the award of the contract and asked them to submit a bid with the understanding that if they got it, they will give the money to him to buy the vehicles by himself from the vendor of his choice”.
The prosecution counsel tendered a petition written to EFCC which was admitted in evidence and marked as exhibit ‘A’. Also, during cross-examination of the witness by the defence counsel, the defence tendered in evidence the contract letter signed by the witness dated 16th November 2020. It was admitted and marked as exhibit ‘B’.
Justice Abdu Dogo adjourned the case to January 21, 2022, for the continuation of the trial.
Count one of the charge reads:
“That you, Professor John Ibu, being the Board Chairman, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, you Chief Abukenchi Suleiman, being the Managing Director, ADB Motors Ventures Nigeria Ltd and you, ADB Motors Ventures Nigeria Ltd sometime in July 2019 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud conspired amongst yourselves and obtained the sum of N24,650,000 (Twenty Four Million Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only) from the Benue State University Teaching Hospital Board for the purchase of a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2018 Model under the false pretence that you can supply which pretence you knew was false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act”.
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