How two army commanders allegedly connived with bankers to divert N339m from MPB

The Federal Government has made public details of how two military personnel, Wing Commander Ishaka Yakubu and Lt.-Commander Akinbamidele Odunsi, connived with two bank officials of the United Bank for Africa, UBA, and allegedly diverted N339m from the Military Pension Board, MPB, in February last year.
The bankers involved are identified as Mrs. Violet Ogoegbunam, who is the manager of a bank on Kuforodua Street, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, and Mrs. Abidemi Aderemi Kolade, a relationship manager at the same bank.

The two women were said to have diverted N339,374,478.58 from the MPB, under the pretext that the money represented payments to some “supposed next of kins to dead military pensioners as death benefits.”
Wing Commander Yakubu is said to be a cashier with the MPB while Lt.-Commander Odunsi is said to be an Assistant Director, Computer, with the MPB.
The four suspects have been dragged to the FCT High Court, Abuja on a four-count charge filed on behalf of the Federal Government by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The charge, filed on May 31, 2017, was endorsed by Steve Odiase of the Legal and Prosecution Department of the EFCC in Abuja.
The two bankers are named in counts 1 and 2, relating to conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence in respect of the alleged N339,374,478.58 fraud.
Yakubu and Odunsi are named in the four counts, and charged with obtaining by false pretence, and abuse of office in respect of N190m which they allegedly received from the N390m.

The EFCC said that the offences of obtaining money under false pretence were contrary to section 1(i) (a) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, while offences of conspiracy to obtain money under false pretence contrary to Section 8(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
The anti-graft agency added that the offence of abuse of office by obtaining money by false pretences in Count 4, was said to be contrary to Section 19 of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under the same section.
A date has not been fixed for hearing of the matter.