NAMA MD, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, others in Court over alleged N6.9bn fraud

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Ibrahim Abdulsalam, four other officials of the agency and an official’s wife are facing trial for allegedly stealing N6.9 billion.

They are facing a 21-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and money laundering brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.

The accused persons are the Managing Director of the agency, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, a former Managing Director, who is said to be at large, Nnamdi Udoh, the General Manager, Procurement, Adegorite Olumuyiwa, the General Manager, Finance, Agbolade Segun, a Director of Finance, Clara Aliche and the wife of the General Manager for Procurement, Joy Ayodele Adegorite.

They were arraigned on Thursday alongside two companies Randville Investment Limited and Multeng Travels and Tours Limited.

The companies were allegedly used as conduit pipes to defraud the Agency, the anti-graft agency claimed.

According to the anti-graft agency, the accused persons allegedly conspired to steal the 6,922,676,815 Naira from NAMA.

When the charge was read to the accused persons, they all pleaded not guilty.

Prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, then asked the court to remand the accused persons in prison and grant a short trial date.

The lawyers for the accused persons pleaded with the court to remand their client in the EFCC custody pending the hearing of their bail applications but Justice Kuewunmi upheld the objection of the prosecution and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison.

He adjourned to April 12 for hearing of the bail applications.

Lawyers to the accused persons did not comment on the matter but counsel to the EFCC, who spoke to our correspondent said that the commission filed charges against the accused persons after investigating petitions written against them.