Benue Vigilante Group Commandant lands in EFCC net over alleged N449.5 million fraud

The commandant of Benue State Vigilante Group, Mr George Mbessey, has been arrested by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over theft of the sum of N449.5 million meant for the running of the group.

The man was said to have collected the fund between October 2018 and May 2020 from the Benue State government for the running of the state vigilante group but he however allegedly pocketed the money.

According to a statement by the anti-graft agency on its twitter handle on Friday, the Makurdi zonal office of the commission arrested the man on Wednesday, May 27, following petitions written against him by some members of the group urging the commission to investigate a case of financial recklessness against the man.

The EFCC said in the statement that those who wrote the petition stated that the Benue State Vigilante Group used to receive funding to the tune of of N20 million monthly directly from the state Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs through its official account.

It added that between October 2018 and May 2020, Mbessey allegedly collected funds meant for the Benue State Vigilante Group to the tune of N449,500,000 using personal account, an act they claim did not follow due process.

According to the EFCC, after his arrest, the man has volunteered useful information to the commission and would be arraigned in court as soon as investigation is concluded.

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