Court Orders Arrests of REA Staff Members Over Non- appearance

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the arrest of 3 staff of the Rural Electrification Agency, REA for failing to appear for their arraignments over multiple charges of frauds and diversions of public funds.

They are Emmanuel Pada Titus, Henrietta Onormen Okojie, and Umar Musa Karaye who had earlier been granted administrative bail  by the Independent and Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, over  alleged fraud, criminal conspiracy and diversion of public funds amounting to the sum of one billion eight hundred  and thirty five million naira only (N1.835m) only negating due process.

Another staff, Usman Ahmed Kwakwa was offered administrative bail in the sum of N50million, with one surety in like sum with 3 years tax clearance, a landed property in the FCT, with original documents, two recent passport photographers of both the respondent and his surety

Earlier in the charge presented by Assistant Chief Legal Officer of the ICPC, Dr. Osuoben Ekoi Akpanimisingha, while reading their charges, had stated that Emmanuel Pada Titus was being arraigned for the alleged diversion of the sum of N261million.
He also informed that Henrietta Onormen Okojie was being arraigned for the diversion of the sum of N342million, while Umar Musa Karaye was being arraigned for the diversion of N165million only.

The complainant on behalf of the federal government, Dr. Okojie, had sought permission of the court to have the trio arrested, for deliberately failing to appear, despite having full details of their arraignments by the commission.
Quoting Section 114 and Section 184 of the Criminal and Justice Act respectively, the complainant informed that he had personally served the defendants the notices of arraignment on May 29th, 2024, with the details of appearances clearly stated, but the defendants on their own notices had failed to appear for their arraignments.

Recall that investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, as well as the Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives had showed outflows of payments amounting to N1.835billion.
The alleged disbursements were paid in tranches into 6 personal accounts of some senior officials of the agency.
In the charge sheets co-signed by Henry O Empire, Director Legal Services and Dr. Osuoben Ekoi Akponimisinghi, Assistant Legal Officer of the ICPC it stated that a total of N1.835billion were paid by Abubakar Abdullahi Sambo in tranches to the defendants.

The Judge had adjourned the re-arraignment of Emmanuel Pada Titus, Henrietta Onormen Okojie, and Umar Musa Karaye to June 13th 2024 and that of Usman Ahmed Kwakwa to June 14th 2024, respectively.

Additionally, it is to be recalled that in March 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, managing director and chief executive of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) indefinitely.

The suspension followed an investigation into the financial activities of the Rural Electrification Agency and diversion of N1.2billion into personal accounts.
Tinubu also approved the indefinite suspension of Olaniyi Netufo, executive director, corporate services, Barka Sajou, executive director, technical services and Sa’adatu Balgore, executive director, rural electrification fund (REF).