The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] Gombe zonal office, on Monday, arraigned three persons before Justice Nathan Musa of an Adamawa State High Court on a nine-count bordering on “conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, diversion, inflation of contract price, forgery and refusal to make full disclosure of assets” to the anti-graft agency.

The accused are Lucious Mayo, Elisie Yaduwa, Elisha Yahaya and Rhoda Samson.

Mayo is alleged to have, as Executive Secretary of the state’s Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, connived with Yaduwa, the Director of Finance and Account; Yahaya, Accountant, and Samson, cashier, to divert to personal use, about N132m out of N347, 848,220 released in 2016 by the Adamawa government to cater for the pilgrimage exercise of Christians from the state.

They are also alleged to have collected and diverted about N2.54 million from four “self-sponsored” pilgrims, who paid the money into the Board’s account.

Further investigations also revealed that in 2016, Mayo sold registration forms to 1,569 intending pilgrims at N10, 000 each, amounting to N15, 690, 000m. This was in spite of the fact that many pilgrims were sponsored by the Adamawa State Government. The money was neither remitted to the Board’s account nor the state’s Revenue Board account.

It was also revealed that the Head of Medicals received the sum of N3.5m for drugs procurement, but was expressly instructed to return N1.5m  only to the Director of Finance, without being given treasury receipt. A fictitious payment voucher for N3.5m was later raised by the accountant to cover up the fraudulent diversion.

Another N26.34m was obtained by the first defendant from the intending pilgrims under the false pretence that the money was to be used for upgrading their Basic Travelling Allowance, BTA from the minimum seat of $500 to maximum seat of $750 each, but instead, diverted to his personal use.

Investigation also shows that the Board issued a contract for the supply of wrappers (uniforms) at N2, 500 to each pilgrim. But Mayo inflated the price by N1, 000 each, generating N1m and diverted same to his personal use.

One of the counts reads:

“That you, DR. LUCIOUS JINGA MAYO in your capacity as Executive Secretary, Christian Pilgrim Welfare Board, Adamawa State, sometimes between August and December 2016, or thereabouts at Yola, Adamawa State within the Jurisdiction Of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain monies in the sum of Eighty Four Million, Nine Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand, Six Hundred Naira (N84,948,600) from the Government of Adamawa State under the false pretence that, the money be used for the expenses of Local Government sponsored Christians Pilgrims for the 2016 Pilgrimage which sum you diverted for your own use, thereby committed an offence contrary to the provision of Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, LFN and Punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.

They pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to them.

Prosecuting counsel, A.Y. Muntaka, thereafter asked for a date for commencement of trial.

Defence counsel for the defendants, however, moved their bail applications.

Justice Musa granted bail to the first defendant in the sum of N100 million and one surety in like sum, with landed property within the jurisdiction of the Court or a Permanent Secretary in the Civil Service. The second, third and fourth defendants were granted bail in the sum of N50 million and one surety each in like sum. The surety who must be a director in the Civil Service must have landed property.

The case has been adjourned to February 6 and 7, 2019 for “definite hearing”.