N2.8bn Fraud: ICPC Arraigns Ex-Surveyor General, Awudu

A former Surveyor-General of the Federation (SGOF), Dr. Ebisintei Awudu, has been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), for alleged fraudulent diversion of N2.8 billion.

Awudu was brought before Justice Olusegun Adeniyi, of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), High Court 9, Maitama, on a 22-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office, gratification and virement, which contravened Sections 19, 10 (a) (i) and 22 (5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and punishable under the same section 10(a)(ii) of the same Act.

The charge in part reads, “That you Surveyor Ebisintei B. Awudu between 16th November, 2017 and January 2018, used your official position as the Surveyor-General of the Federation to confer unfair advantage upon a relation and associate by awarding five different contracts with a total sum of N808,592,200 ( Eight Hundred and Eight million, Five Hundred and Ninety-Two Thousand, Two Hundred Naira) to Geolev Nigeria Ltd., which company you had been a Director, wherein your half-brother and other associates are still Directors, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000”.

It was alleged that the sum of N1,253,428,269 was collected by the accused at different times between February and December, 2018, from various contractors handling projects for the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation as gratification.