Pension Scam: EFCC Arraigns Four For N1.2B Fraud

According to Premium Times, the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, arraigned four persons before Justice Abubakar
Talba of the Federal High Court, Gudu, Abuja, on a 29-countcharge bordering on
conspiracy, and collecting by false pretence.

Ibrahim Mazangari, Muhammed Sulaiman, Fatima Mazangari and
Saleh Tsojon were alleged to have obtained N1.2 billion from the Federal
Government by false pretence and with intent to defraud, purporting same to be
monthly pension payable to M. S. Suleiman, Saleh Yerima Tsojon, Isah U. Adamu,
Daniel Mikano, and Abdulahi Musa, who were falsely held out at pensioners of
the Federal Government, by inserting their names in the pensioners’ payroll.

The accused persons, who were offered a biometric contract
by a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye, to
regularize names of pensioners on the pensions’ payroll, allegedly smuggled in
names of fake pensioners, and collected unearned pension.

The fraud allegedly involved two companies – Xangee
Technologies Limited and Century Construction Company Limited.

All the accused persons were present in court to take their
plea.

One of the charges reads: “That you Ibrahim Ahmed Mazangari,
Muhammed Sani Suleiman and Xangee Technologies Limited between 28th April, 2011
and 24th November 2011, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by
false pretence and with intent to defraud, obtained an aggregate sum of
N1,072,873.74 from the Federal Government.”

They all pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to
them.

While fixing November 2 and 3 for trial to begin, the judge
ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody, pending the
fulfilment of the bail conditions.