N6.9bn NAMA Scam: N855m Traced To Defendant’s Account- Witness

A witness in the ongoing trial of
Abdulsalam Ibrahim, Executive Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, today informed the Federal High Court Lagos how the sixth defendant Bola Akinribido and the second defendant Segun Agbolade connived and diverted the sum of N855,000,000.95 (Eight Hundred and Fifty Five Million, Ninety Five Kobo) property of NAMA.

At the last adjourned date, the witness Babatunde Adelekan had disclosed that between August 2013 and September 2015 there was an inflow of N837,221,137 (Eight Hundred and Thirty Seven Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, One Hundred and Thirty Seven Naira Only) from the account of NAMA to the account of Delosa Limited, a company owned by the seventh accused person, Abiodun Sesebor and subsequently to the accounts of the second, third, eighth defendants and the relatives of the sixth defendant. The beneficiaries of this fraudulent disbursement were Randville Invesment Limited And Multeng Travels And Tours Limited, Bamilade Sesebor, Osagie Sesebor and Osaretun Sesebor.

At the resumed hearing today, Adelekan revealed before the court how a whooping sum N855,000,000.95 (Eight Hundred and Fifty Five Million, Ninety Five Kobo) ended in the pocket of the third defendant Agbolade through the account of Akinribido, the sixth defendant.

It was discovered from the account statement of Akinribido that, whenever he received money from NAMA, same amount was transferred into the bank account of Agbolade who is a General Manager in NAMA while Akinribido works in the ICT department of the agency.

This alleged fraud was perpetrated between January 2013 and February 2016.

Agbolade and Akinribido are standing trial alongside ten others including Ibrahim for allegedly stealing the sum of N6,922,676,815 from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency. Upon their arraignment they pleaded not guilty.

One of the charge read That "you, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, Nnamdi Udoh (Still At Large) Adegorite Olumuyiwa, Agbolade Segun, Clara Aliche, Joy Ayodele Adegorite, Sesebor Abiodun, Randville Invesment Limited And Multeng Travels and Tours Limited, Bola Akinribido, Delosa Limited, Airsea Delivery Limited and Sea Schedule System Limited on or about the 19th day of August, 2013 in Lagos, within thejurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud conspired amongst yourselves to induce the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to deliver the sum of
N2,847,523,975.00 (Two Billion, Eight Hundred and Forty Seven Million, Five Hundred and Twenty Three Thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy Five Naira) to Delosa Limited, Air Sea Delivery Limited and Sea Schedules Systems Limited under the pretense that the said sum represented the cost of clearing consignments belonging to the said Agency and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3)of the same Act.”

The case was adjourned to September 21 and 22, 2016 for continuation of trial.