Witness lists banks used for immigration recruitment

A witness in the trial of former minister for interior, Abba Moro and three others, yesterday named banks where applicants paid for online application forms for the fatal recruitment exercise into the Nigeria Immigration Service in 2014.

Prosecution witness, Augustine Ugorji told the Federal High Court in Abuja that each applicant paid N1000 to Drexel Technical Nigeria Ltd through Union Bank, UBA, Diamond Bank, Zenith Bank, Sterling Bank, Ecobank, Enterprise Bank and Interswitch.

Ugorji, who said he headed the Finance Department for Pay-For-Me Services Nigeria Ltd, an e-commerce company licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) between 2010 and 2016, stated that the company had an arrangement with Drexel for the recruitment.

However, under cross examination by defence counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), Ugorji admitted that his company never transferred any money to ministry of interior.

Moro was arraigned on 11-count charges of defrauding 676,675 applicants of the sum of N676.6 million after each of them paid N1, 000 for the exercise.

Others charged with him are: Anastasia Daniel Nwobia, a former permanent Secretary in the ministry, Femi Alayebami, director in the ministry and Drexel Technical Nigeria Ltd.

They were alleged to have awarded the online enlistment contract to Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd without advertising, needs assessment and procurement plan.

Drexel Ltd and one Mahmood Ahmadu, now at large, were alleged to have on 17th March, 2013 used the proceeds from the recruitment exercise to buy a property at No 1 Lahn Crescent, Maitama, Abuja.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba has adjourned the case to November 7.