EFCC arrests ex-Minister, Abba Moro, two others over 2014 immigration scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, over the Nigerian Immigration recruitment scam in which no fewer than 20 job seekers died.

Abba Moro

Also arrested by the anti-graft agency were former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Anaesthesia Nwaobia, and a Deputy Director who allegedly facilitated the scam.

A source at the commission, told our correspondent that the three suspects were picked up this evening.

“They were brought into the commission’s headquarters today and will be arraigned on a 12-count charge in the Federal High Court Abuja on Tuesday,” the source said.

Some of the charges against Mr. Moro and his colleagues include obtaining by false pretence, procurement offences, corrupt practices and money laundering.

At least nine job seekers died on March 15, 2014 at the Abuja National Stadium while scrambling to secure seats for a recruitment test into the Nigerian Immigration Service.‪

The stampede ensued after the over 200,000 job seekers scrambled through a poorly organized barricade at the stadium.

In Port Harcourt, Rivers State, four applicants died from the stampede while 12 others sustained injuries and were rushed to Rivers government-owned Braithwaite Memorial Hospital.

After the March 15 tragedy, several Nigerians demanded the resignation or dismissal of Mr. Moro and the Comptroller-General of Immigration, David Parradang, as well as their criminal prosecution for involuntary homicide.

They were accused of putting in place a sham recruitment process that enabled the interior ministry to extort at least N520 million in compulsory levy imposed on applicants.

The minister, who initially blamed impatience and refusal by applicants to abide by instructions for the tragedy, later accepted responsibility for the incident.

He, however, refused to step down.