EFCC Arraigns REA Director For Fraud, Arrests Woman Over Scam
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the Director of Human Resources Management of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), for money laundering.
According to the anti-graft agency’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, the REA Director, Sulieman Garba Bulkwang, who was brought before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, is being prosecuted on a five-count charge, bordering on criminal diversion of funds and money laundering to the tune of N223,412,909 (Two Hundred and Twenty-three Million, Four Hundred and Twelve Thousand Nine Hundred and Nine Kobo).
According to count one of the charges, Bulkwang, while being the Director of Human Resources Management of the REA, got one Umaefulem Donatus Chibueze, the Managing Director of Cees Assist Resources and Brainstask Value Resources (consultants to REA) to transfer the sum of N138,123,969 out of the sum of N279,330,000.00 paid to the consultants by REA, knowing that the said sum of N138,123,969 constituted proceeds of unlawful activity, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 21 (a) of the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
According to count two, the defendant, also while being the Director of Human Resources Management of the REA, sometime in July, 2023 in Abuja, indirectly converted the sum of N45m being part of the money cumulatively paid to the bank accounts of Dammy Gold Programme Ltd, World Class Business, Green Haven Company And De-Sam Rose – Base Ltd by consultants to REA, knowing that the said sum constituted proceeds of unlawful activity, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 18(b) (b) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Bulkwang pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges after they were read to him and in the absence of defence counsel, prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in a correctional center.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter till February 3, 2025 for the defendant’s bail application and ordered that he be remanded in Kuje Correctional Center.
In another development, the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC arrested one Halima Yakubu Ngulde for suspected involvement in employment fraud.
Ngulde was arrested in Unguwan Kanawa, Kaduna State, following credible intelligence linking her to obtaining money from job seekers on fraudulent promises of getting job placements for them in the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army and the EFCC.
Items recovered from her upon her arrest included a fake EFCC letter headed paper and multiple curriculum vitae from job seekers.
Oyewale said she will be charged to court as soon as investigation into the matter is concluded.
