A report detailing the alleged looting of over N3 billion public funds by three commissioners and six local government chairmen in Kogi State has been submitted by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who investigated the alleged scam.

The indictment of the affected public officials by the report had led to criminal charge being prepared against them, with their trial expected to commence this week.

The commission, last week, also secured an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja to keep the suspects in its custody for two weeks, though a source in the commission said nothing would stop their arraignment this week.

Those arrested included former Commissioner for Finance and incumbent Commissioner for Agriculture, Abiodun Ojo; former Commissioner for Agriculture, Major Albert Adesina and incumbent Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Joseph Faniyi.

The arrested council bosses were Obaro Kayode ( Yagba East); Gabriel Dauda (Ogori Magongo); Yahaya Abubakar ( Okene); Stephen Asala (Yagba West); Ahmed Raji (Adavi) and former caretaker chairman of Adavi Local Government Area, Enesi Jimoh.

They had remained in the commission’s custody since Tuesday last week when they were arrested in the state and brought to Abuja.

In the report, Faniyi and Suleiman were accused of using forged document to secure a N90 million loan facility from a bank on behalf of the council but said to have diverted the said sum for personal use.

Dauda and Adesina were said to have, between 2003 and 2004, diverted N160 million from Ogori Magongo council for personal use, while another N30 million was reportedly stolen between 2008 and 2009.

In December 2008, Dauda was said to have bought 2 Prado Jeep; six Toyota Corolla cars; three Toyota Camry; one Toyota Hiace bus; one Benz Parker bus, one Caterpillar grader, among others, in the name of the local government but converted same to personal use.


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