The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has arraigned the Director of Administration and Supplies at the National Boundary Commission, Aishatu Abdullahi and the Assistant Chief Accountant, Ghaji Rahila, over allegations of forgery and abuse of office.The duo was arraigned on Tuesday before Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja.In a five-count charge, ICPC accused the defendants of conspiring to allow the first defendant, Ghaji Rahila, to participate in the senior promotion exercise and secure her confirmation to the rank of Chief Accountant (Level 14) at the National Boundary Commission, while simultaneously being employed by Galaxy Backbone Limited.A statement on Wednesday by the ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, disclosed that the commission also accused Rahila of forging an admission letter from Carnegie Mellon University, Rwanda, purportedly addressed to her husband, Suleiman Mishara, to support her application for a leave of absence from the National Boundary Commission.

The statement read, “That you, Ghaji Rahila (F), and Aishatu Abdullahi (F), sometime in 2021 or thereabout in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, as Assistant Chief Accountant and Director of Administration & Supplies of the National Boundary Commission respectively, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit an offence, to wit: conferring unfair advantage by allowing Ghaji Rahila to participate in the senior staff promotion exercise at the National Boundary Commission while Galaxy Backbone Limited simultaneously employed her. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”Bakare said the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to them.

He said the ICPC’s counsel, Fatimah Bardi, applied for a date for the commencement of the trial while counsel for the defendants, Akinyemi Aremu and Adebayo Eniwaye, moved applications for bail on behalf of their clients.

Bakare said Justice Halilu granted the defendants bail on the condition that they provide two sureties each, who must be Abuja residents and civil servants of the rank of director in any federal parastatal.He said the judge ordered that the sureties must also provide evidence of their first employment and last promotion, sign letters of undertaking to ensure the defendants appear in court throughout the trial and agree to imprisonment should they fail to produce the defendants in court.“Such directors must sign letters of undertaking to produce the defendants in court throughout their trial and agree to be put in prison upon failure to produce the first and second defendants in court.“The said defendants shall also deposit their travelling documents with the Registrar of the court. In the event that they (defendants) fail to meet these conditions, they should be remanded in Suleja Prison till the next adjourned date, “ Bakare quoted the judge as saying.The case was adjourned until March 17, 2025, for the commencement of the hearing.

Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday granted N20 million bail to two staff members of Keystone Bank Limited, Ebele Okpala and Perpetua Onyeto, over alleged obtaining of N35 million fraudulently.Okpala and Onyeto were granted bail after their counsel argued the bail application brought before the court.The duo were arraigned on Friday, August 30, 2024, by the Police Special Fraud Unit, in Lagos over alleged fraud.Okpala and Onyeto are facing five counts bordering on conspiracy, stealing, money laundering and obtaining by false pretence preferred against them, by the police.The prosecution counsel who is a Chief Superintendent of Police, Eliot Ejie, told the court that the two bankers committed the offences sometime in July 2023.CSP Ejie told the court that the first defendant, Okpala, in connivance with the second defendant, Onyeto, who worked at the branch of the bank in Anambra State, fraudulently lifted a lien placed on the bank’s customer’s account and transferred the money to her account number 1000234952 domiciled in Keystone Bank.According to the prosecutor, the offences committed by the defendants, contravened Sections 1(1)(c), Advance Fee Fraud and other related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.He also told the court that the two bankers’ acts contravened Sections 516 and 383 (1) Criminal Code Act LFN 2004. And Sections 21(a) and 18 (2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.The case was then adjourned till Monday, for the hearing of their bail applications.At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, the defendants’ counsel argued their bail applications which was vehemently opposed by the prosecutor.But Justice Dipeolu, after listening to the arguments on their bail applications, granted the two bankers bail in the sum of N10m each with two sureties each in like sum.The judge also ordered that one of the sureties must be a landed property owner within the court’s jurisdiction, while the second surety, must be a Grade level 16 officer in either Lagos or Federal Government establishment.He adjourned the case till November 6, 2024, for trial.

Mr. Eli Hini, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN’s MoMo Payment Service Bank, and Ms. Elsa Muzzolini, Chief Commercial Officer, have both left the company, P.M.EXPRESS Learnt.Muzzolini announced her resignation through a direct message to MoMo employees on 12 July.She was said to have taken up a new role as CEO of M-PESA Ethiopia, the Safaricom’s mobile money business, effective 15 July, 2024 as an updated on her LinkedIn profile reflect her new position.However, it remains unclear whether Hini, who departed in June 2024, has moved on to another role.Both Hini and Muzzolini joined MoMo PSB in 2022, where they played key roles in driving the fintech’s growth strategies in Nigeria.Their exits come at a crucial time as MTN Nigeria increases its investment in MoMo PSB to boost its market share in mobile wallets and app adoption, following challenges in its core telecom business.Phrase Lubega, MTN’s Head of Fintech, has been named as the new CEO, although his appointment is pending approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.MTN has yet to respond to requests for comment.MoMo PSB has seen significant growth under Hini and Muzzolini’s leadership.In the first half of 2024, the number of mobile money wallets grew by 55.8%, reaching 5.5 million, up from 3.1 million in the same period in 2023.Fintech revenue also increased by 11%, driven by higher adoption of mobile wallets and the MoMo app.In comparison, Airtel’s mobile money service, which is slated to go public in 2025, reported a 14.9% increase in its customer base, reaching 39.5 million.In a strategic move to strengthen MoMo PSB’s operations and position it for further growth, MTN Nigeria on August 5, 2024, paid ₦6.95 billion to acquire Acxani Capital Limited, the minority shareholder of MoMo PSB.This transaction, detailed in a regulatory filing, gives MTN Nigeria full control of the fintech unit and allows for additional investment.As part of the deal, MoMo PSB received an extra ₦9.4 billion from MTN Nigeria.

Source: pmexpressng.com