The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) on Friday, June 3,
2016, arraigned a serving military officer, Major General Emmanuel
Atewe, the former Director General of NIMASA Patrick Ziadeke
Akpobolokemi, Kime Engozu and Josphine Otuaga before Justice Saliu Saidu
of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi on an 11 count charge bordering on
conspiracy, abuse of office and money laundering.
Major
General Atewe, currently serving in TRADOC Minna as Director of
Doctrinal and Combat Development, was also a former Guard Brigade
Commander at the Presidency as well as Joint Task Force Commander Pulo
Shield Port Harcourt.
The Commission received an
intelligence report in June 2015 alleging that the management of NIMASA
under the leadership of Ziadeke Patrick Akpobokelemi made payments
aggregating to the tune of N8,537,586,798.58 to Joint Task Force
Operation Pulo Shield’s Zenith Bank Account with substantial part of the
money diverted and transferred through several individuals and
companies who served as proxies.
Investigations revealed that General
Atewe in a grand conspiracy with Akpobokelemi converted about
N6,038,350,741 of the initial sum to United States Dollars through
various Bureau De Change companies which were handed over to Kime Enzogu
and Josephine Otuaga who were business partners to Akpobokelemi and
thereafter shared by the defendants.
Part of the
money was found to have been used in buying choice properties in Port
Harcourt and Abuja as well as acquisition of shares in blue chip
companies. Justice Saidu adjourned the case to the 24th of June, 2016,
for commencement of trial.