NAMA MD, Three Directors, Others Remanded in Prison for Alleged N6.9bn Fraud

Davidson Iriekpen
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Ibrahim Abdulsalam, three directors and wife of a director were yesterday remanded in prison custody by a Federal High Court in Lagos following their arraignment  for an alleged stealing and conversion of the agency’s money amounting to N6,850,447,609.90.

The accused were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The directors of the agency docked with Abdulsalam are Adegorite Olumuyiwa, Agbolade Segun, Clara Aliche.

Wife of Adegorite, Joy Ayodele Adegorite who is the Managing Director of Multeng Travels and Tours Limited and  two limited liability companies Randville Investment Limited, Multeng Travels and Tours Limited alleged to have been used as conduit pipe to defraud the agency were also arraigned.

In a 21-count charge preferred against the accused persons, the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo,  alleged that all the accused persons and one Nnamdi Udoh, still at large, between  January 31, 2013 and September 3, 2015 with intent to defraud and by false pretence, conspired to induce the NAMA to deliver the sum of N2,847,523,975 to Delosa Limited, Air Sea Delivery Limited and Sea Schedules Systems Limited under the pretence that the said sum represented the cost of clearing consignments belonging to the agency
The accused persons were also alleged to have converted various sums of money amounting to N4,003,532,608.90 belonging to NAMA.
When the charges were read to them,  all the accused pleaded not guilty.

Consequently, the EFCC prosecutor, Oyedepo, prayed the court to remand them in prison custody  and also adjourn the case for trial.
However, Mr. Ayo Olumofin, leading six other lawyers  representing the accused persons, told the court that they had filed bail application on behalf of their, but Mr. Oyedepo told the court that he needed time to react to the bail application.
Consequently the presiding judge, Justice Babs Kiewumi,  adjourned the matter till April 12, 2016 for the hearing of the bail applications and ordered that the accused persons  be remanded in prison custody.