Recruitment Scam: Ex-Immigration Boss Absolves Perm Sec, Director

By Alex Enumah

The first Prosecution Witness (PW1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), David Paradang, has exonerated the second and third defendants of any involvement in the 2014 Immigration recruitment that led to the death of over a dozen job seekers in Nigeria.

He was a former Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration Service.

Those he absolved are Mrs Anastasia Nwobia, a former Permanent Secretary and F.O. Alayebami, a Deputy Director, both of the Ministry of Interior.

They are currently being tried alongside former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, for their alleged involvement in the recruitment exercise that turned sour.

Paradang absolved the defendants during cross examination at the resumed trial of the suspects at a Federal high court in Abuja.

Others involved in the trial are Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and Mahmood Ahmadu, said to be at large.

They are accused of defrauding 676, 675 applicants of the sum of N676, 675, 000, being the aggregate of N1000 paid by each applicant to Drexel ahead of the recruitment.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges.