The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed that a former Chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr. Ngozi Juliet Olejeme paid out over N60 billion for contracts that were not executed.
EFCC revealed this in a memo made available to ElombahNews on Saturday.
Dr. Olejeme served as NSITF Chairman from 2009 to 2015 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
She also worked as the financial secretary to the Goodluck Jonathan campaign organization during the 2015 general elections.
The anti-graft agency also noted that following its application, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, granted an order for the forfeiture of 46 buildingsowned by Mrs. Olejeme.
The said buildings are located in Edo, Bayelsa, Delta States as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
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EFCC had declared Olejeme wanted in September 2017 over allegations of “criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds and money laundering”.
She was “alleged to have, along with Mr Umar Munir Abubakar, the former Managing Director of NSITF, mismanaged and diverted well over N69 billion government funds into their personal accounts through the award of suspicious and bogus contracts to proxy companies”.
According to a statement by the EFCC on Wednesday, the forfeiture order was granted after Ekele Iheanacho, counsel to the commission, proved to the court that the affected properties were purchased with proceeds of crime.
“He buttressed his position with 14 exhibits attached to his affidavit, filed on May 29, 2020,” it read.
“In granting the application, Justice Taiwo ruled that the interim order should be published in a leading newspaper within seven days of receipt of the order, and for any interested party to show cause within 14 days as to why the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.”