EFCC tightens grip around alleged N100million racketeers in FAAN

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed that ongoing investigations into the fraud at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is bound to expose a few others in the racket as it has just exposed an alleged involvement of the suspect’s husband who works in the Human Resources department of authority.
The EFCC in a statement by spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said Ms Christy Olabade, her younger brother, Abdul-Shehu Obaze, who is a staff at the Commercial Department of FAAN in Ilorin, Kwara State and an IT officer at FAAN Headquarters, Lagos, Dominic Ojo, were also arrested.
A statement by the EFCC also put the alleged fraud at N100million revealing that Obaze squealed on Christy Olabade’s husband alleging his involvement and the involvement of other officials of FAAN.
The EFCC had revealed that Ms. Olabode’s arrest followed an anonymous petition, which indicated that she allegedly diverted the said sum, by inserting names of non-FAAN staff into the payroll. She allegedly conspired with Mr. Obaze, to perpetrate the fraud.
The EFCC said Mr. Obaze was found to have maintained not less than eight accounts in seven new generation banks, which were used to receive the funds for onward distribution to “several high ranking officers within the FAAN”.
“The funds were being paid into his various bank accounts with the narrative, ‘Furniture Allowance’. However, while allowance for FAAN’s furniture is usually paid once in three years, Obaze received the ‘allowance’ several times within a year.
“Investigations carried out by the EFCC revealed that the fraud had gone on since 2013. It unearthed a payroll with names of many dead, retired and disengaged staff of FAAN listed against Obaze’s different bank accounts.
“Upon interrogation, Obaze, a level nine officer, confessed that other FAAN officials were involved in the massive fraud, including Olabode’s husband who works in the Human Resources department of FAAN.
“Olabode and Ojo currently enjoy administrative bail, while Obaze remains in EFCC custody,” the statement said.
They would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded, the EFCC said.