NIS Recruitment: Not All Companies Used for Exercise Were Registered, CAC Tells Court

Alex Enumah in Abuja

A prosecution witness, Muftau Bello, in the ongoing trial of former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, over complicity in the 2014 Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment exercise thursday admitted that not all the companies that executed the contract for the mounting of the e-recruitment portal of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) were duly.

Bello, a staff of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), admitted this at the resumed trial of Moro at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The witness who works in the Registry Department of the Commission however, gave the names of the registered companies as Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and Drexel Nigeria Limited.

He, however, told the court that another company, Drexel Tech Global has not been registered with the commission.

Meantime, the prosecution counsel has sought for an adjournment to enable him file and serve counsel to the defendants, additional proof of evidence to tender additional documents.

Although the prosecution witness had initially told the court that only one company from the three companies mentioned in the EFCC letter to CAC for investigation that was registered, he admitted under cross examination by counsel to Drexel Nigerial Ltd, Sunday Ameh (SAN) that two companies were actually registered by the CAC.

Ameh: look at the document and confirm to the court whether Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd is a dully registered company by the CAC?

Witness: Yes, it is dully registered with the CAC
Ameh: Take a look at the document again and confirm whether Drexel Nigeria Ltd is a duly registered company with CAC?

Witness: Yes, it is a dully registered company.
Bello also admitted under cross-examination that although CAC has a legal department, he does not work in the said department.
Justice Dimgba however, adjourned the case toJune 28 and 30 for continuation of trial at the instance of the prosecution counsel.

Before the adjournment, some documents tendered in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Steven Odiase through the witness included a letter from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the CAC dated January 28, 2016 with the title: ‘investigation activities.’
Another letter from the commission to CAC dated March 3, 2016 with similar title was also tendered and admitted and marked as an exhibit by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba.

Abba Moro, former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Anastacia Nwobia, a Deputy Director in the ministry, F.O. Alayabami and a private company, Drexel Nigeria Ltd are standing trial over alleged N676milion recruitment fraud.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), conducted recruitment on March 15, 2014, that led to the death of 15 applicants, while several others were wounded.