By James Orji
Calls For His Probe As Lottery Commission Boss
The Chairman of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Lanre Gbajabiamila must explain how over N300 million got missing under his watch. This is the position of a civil rights organization, Network for Best Practice and Integrity in Leadership, NEBRIL which has now petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to probe the commission’s boss.
Gbajabiamila who is the brother of Nigeria’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila was said to have allegedly committed the fraud alongside some staff of the commission, whose accounts were used to siphon several millions of naira from the commission.
But while responding to the alleged scam Musa Mohammed Bagana, an aide to the chairman of the commission said part of the funds were used to bribe members of the National Assembly committee which has oversight power over the commission.
NEBBRIL said in a statement that over 15 staff of the commission, were used in pilfering several millions of naira from the agency accounts, “In 2020 financial year, a total sum of N42,650,400 was mopped-up in 18 transactions using the accounts of nine staff,” NEBRIL said.
The staff include Bamodeoku Oyebode, a Personal Assistant to the DG, Oviawe Edwin, Tunde Ezomon, Adesina Ekundayo, and Gelengu Jibrin.
Other accomplices whose bank accounts were used in the alleged Illicit transactions include: Oluwatosin Osanyinbola, Momohjimoh Abdulmutalib (F& A and DFA’s Office assistant) Hassan Audu, Musandah Godwin, Funmilola Akinlami (F&A and DFA’s secretary), Deborah Uziagbe, Nneoma Vivian Chinonyerem , Ukah Solomon, Oladipo Odion Joyce, Akanmode Peter Femi, Ewuje Joy Akinwalere Seunfunmi, Ene Dominic Marcellina and Ayeni Adebukola.
Between March and December 2019, a total of N348, 200, 950 was said to have been diverted through the shell accounts of the staff of the commission, believed to be working for the DG.
NEBRIL claimed in the statement that the alleged fraud was perpetrated “in a total of 143 transactions.” The civil rights body list the breakdown of the alleged fraud as follows.
* In March 2019, the sum of N26,024,000 was fraudulently mopped-up in 11 transactions, via bank accounts of nine members of staff.
* In April 2019, N27,140,000 in 12 transactions by nine staff accounts
* In May 2019, N9, 483,000 in 5 transactions through four staff accounts
* In June 2019, N23, 414,400, was mopped-up via nine members of staff accounts in 10 transactions.
* In July 2019, a total of N61,130,350 was mopped-up in 27 different translations through the bank accounts of 10 staff.
* In August 2019, N17,786,800 was mopped-up in eight transactions through the accounts of six staff.
* In September 2019, N56,466,200 was mopped-up in 24 transactions, using the accounts of 16 staff.
* In October 2019, N21,276,200 was mopped-up in 10 transactions via nine staff accounts.
* In November 2019, N39,650,200 was mopped-up in 18 transactions, using the accounts of 12 staff.
* In December 2019, N65,829,600 was mopped-up in 29 transactions, using the accounts of 14 staff.
The petition further listed the involvement of other staff in the alleged pilfering of the Commission’s funds.
“For instance, Oviawe Edwin of Finance & Accounts department (Other Charges), was involved in 25 different transactions where a total sum of N58,891,800 was mopped-up through his account.
* Tunde Ezomon, also of Finance & Accounts (CPO), was involved in 16 different translations and a total sum of N37,355,800 was mopped-up through his account.
* Adesina Ekundayo of Internal Audit was involved in eight different translations, where N19,026,800 was mopped-up through his account.
* Gelengu Jibrin, another staff in Internal Audit department, was involved in four transactions and a total sum of N9,777, 400 was mopped-up through his account.
* Bamodeoku Oyebode, a Personal Assistant to the DG was involved in four transactions and N8,557,000 was mopped-up through his account.
