JAMB: EFCC Shortlists 15 for trial over N8.7billion fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched into a probe of the cash inflow and outflow of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) between 2010 and 2016.

The anti-graft agency wants to get to the root of an alleged N8.7billion fraud in the board.

Fifteen suspects have already been shortlisted for trial.

Among them are some zonal heads and state coordinators. One of the suspects facing trial is a female accountant, Philomena Chise, whose sensational claim that  a snake swallowed N36million raked in from the sales of e-facility cards rocked the nation.

Chise later told EFCC operatives that the said N36milion was disbursed as an I-Owe-You advance to cash-strapped staff.

The N8.7billion alleged fraud is said to have predated the present JAMB management, led by Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.

A document detailing the alleged fraud and sighted our reporter says the large sum was revenue from sales of e-facility cards and change of course cards which ended in private pockets.

“The remittance of over N8billion by Oloyede to the Federal Government as revenue led to the Forensic Investigation of Financial Activities of JAMB between 2010 and 2016 by Faithpro Consulting Auditing Associate (Financial and Management Consultants),” it says.

“The forensic investigators came up with N8.7billion shortfall within the same period which the EFCC has been investigating. There are about 15 suspects who may face trial in the first batch.”

Some of the states where the fraud was detected include Benue, Nasarawa, Kano, Kogi, Plateau, Gombe, Yobe and Edo.

However, Some of the  suspects under investigation, who may face trial   include Chise and Sale Umar (Benue); Labaran Tanko (Nasarawa);  Daniel Agbo (Kogi), Yakubu Jekada (Plateau),  Patricia Ogunsola and  Cyril Izireim Imoukhuede (Edo); Murtala Abdul (Gombe); Aliyu Yakubu (Kano) among others.

The report adds: “In Benue,  out of the expected revenue of N124, 180,00 from e-facility cards,  only N88,700,000  was remitted leaving a balance of N35.48million.

“The JAMB office in the state also received 10,210 change of course cards and instead of remitting N8, 025,000, about N7million was paid into the designated account. About N1,025,000 is missing till date.