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Alleged N5.474bn fraud: ICPC quizzes NDDC directors

Some top management staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), have been quizzed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), over allegations bordering on fraud and misappropriation of the agency’s COVID-19 funds, to the tune of N5.474 billion.

Spokesperson for the ICPC, Mrs. Azuka C. Ogugua, who made the disclosure in a statement, Saturday, said the directors were interrogated at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

“Some directors of NDDC were interrogated at the Commission’s headquarters recently, after months of intelligence gathering, following the receipt of petitions from Nigerians on the alleged illegalities and contracts fraud by some officials of the agency.

“Top officials of the agency are being investigated for their complicity in an alleged diversion of N5.474 billion meant for the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers handling the COVID-19 pandemic in the nine states of NDDC.

“The Commission is also investigating the payments of millions of naira to staff of the agency for foreign trainings during the COVID-19 full lockdown which were never attended, as well as the non-payment of entitlements to students on foreign scholarships,” Ogugua said.

She added: “Other allegations being investigated by ICPC include the selling of back-dated contract award letters for projects and awards of contracts that were not captured in the budget of the NDDC.

“ICPC had already retrieved relevant documents with which to continue investigations towards the recovery of diverted funds and prosecution of breaches of the law.”

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