N26m Pension fraud: ex-accountant at HoS office bags 21 years imprisonment

Sunday Ejike – Abuja

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday, convicted and sentenced a former Accountant, Pensions Account, in the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, Garba Abdullahi Tahir, also known as Tahir Garba, to 21 years imprisonment for stealing N26.1 million meant for pensioners.

Delivering judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo said the prosecution had proved the case against the defendant and convicted him on all the seven charges.

Justice Ekwo sentenced the defendant to three years imprisonment on each of the seven counts and that, the sentences are to run concurrently, from April 3, 2023.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted Abdullahi on an amended seven-count money laundering charge on behalf of the Federal Government.

The case is a part of the billion naira pension fraud in the Office of the Head of Service of Federation, for which a number of civil servants were investigated over ten years ago, and charged to court by the EFCC.

Count four of the charge reads, “That you, Garba Abdullahi Tahir (also known as Tahir Garba) on or about the 18th of January, 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court converted the sum of N3 million into cash by Ecobank cheque No. 92 drawn in favour of one, Sani Abdullahi through your bank account with Ecobank Plc which sum represented part of the proceeds of crime of criminal breach of trust committed by you in the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation with the aim of concealing its illicit origin and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act”.

Count six reads, “That you Garba Abdullahi Tahir (also known as Tahir Garba on or about the 12th April, 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court converted the sum of N7,800,000.00 into a bank draft or Manager’s Cheque in favour of Charo Bureau de Change Ltd through your bank account with Ecobank Plc, which sum represented part of the proceeds of crime of criminal breach of trust committed by you in the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation with the aim of concealing its illicit origin and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act”

Count seven reads, “That you, Garba Abdullahi Tahir (Also known as Tahir Garba) on or about the 17 of May, 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court converted the sum of N7,500,000.00 into a bank draft or Manager’s Cheque in favour of Charo Bureau de Change Ltd through your bank account with Ecobank Plc which sum represented part of the proceeds of crime of criminal breach of trust committed by you in the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation with the aim of concealing its illicit origin and you thereby committed an offence”.

The convict pleaded not guilty to the charges upon arraignment and the anti-graft agency proved the allegations against him in the course of the trial.