The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun investigation into an alleged N8.7billion fraud in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) between 2010 and 2016.
According to TheNation, about 15 suspects have been shortlisted for trial in relation to the fraud. Some zonal heads and state coordinators are listed for trial.
In 2018, Philomena Chieshe, a female accountant and one of the suspects, had claimed that a snake swallowed N36million, which was funds from the sales of e-facility cards.
A document which contains all the details of the alleged fraud revealed that money from the sales of e-facility cards and change-of-course cards ended up in the pockets of private individuals.
The report read: “The remittance of over N8billion by Oloyede to the Federal Government as revenue led to the forensic investigation of financial activities of JAMB between 2010 and 2016 by Faithpro Consulting Auditing Associate (Financial and Management Consultants).
“The forensic investigators came up with N8.7billion shortfall within the same period which the EFCC has been investigating. There are about 15 suspects who may face trial in the first batch.”
Benue, Nasarawa, Kano, Kogi, Plateau, Gombe, Yobe and Edo are some of the states where the fraud was said to have taken place, while Chieshe and Sale Umar (Benue), Labaran Tanko (Nasarawa), Daniel Agbo (Kogi), Yakubu Jekada (Plateau), Patricia Ogunsola and Cyril Izireim Imoukhuede (Edo), Murtala Abdul (Gombe), Aliyu Yakubu (Kano), among others, are names of some of the suspects under investigation.
The report continued: “In Benue, out of the expected revenue of N124,180,000 from e-facility cards, only N88,700,000 was remitted, leaving a balance of N35.48million.
“The JAMB office in the state also received 10,210 change of course cards and instead of remitting N8,025,000, about N7million was paid into the designated account. About N1,025,000 is missing till date.
“Although JAMB’s preliminary findings claimed that Chieshe confessed that a snake swallowed the N36m unremitted cash, she told the EFCC detectives that the shortfall was an I-Owe-You advance to cash-strapped staff that are yet to refund same.”
For Yobe state, JAMB employees arguments was that they had “lost sale records because of attacks on Damaturu by Boko Haram”.
Edo State employees had similar claims “where N26,400,000 is missing. Out of the expected revenue from e-facility cards of about N123,933,000, only N97,533,000 was paid into the relevant account.
“In Gombe, about N40,004,000 sales revenue was realized but only N29,073,000 was remitted leaving a balance of N10,269,000.
“An officer in Kano, in his efforts to cover up for 20,000 unaccounted cards, worth N20million, cut carbon papers in the form of e-facility cards and returned these cards as unused.
“Investigation revealed that Mr. Labaran Tanko was the JAMB State Coordinator of Lafia Office, Nasarawa State between 2011 and 2016.
“Investigation revealed that within the period of his tenure, Nasarawa State Office revealed a total of 24,882 e-facility cards out of which 24,037 were unsold, while 845 were sold at the rate of N1,000 each. The expected revenue was N845,000 realized and remitted to JAMB.
“However, he claimed that the remaining 23,147 cards got burnt in an accident he had along Lafia-Akwanga Expressway, while 890 cards were missing.
“Meanwhile, contrary to his submission, forensic evidence obtained from the IT Unit of JAMB showed that the cards were sold and utilized by candidates within Nasarawa State and its environs.
“This forensic evidence showed the name, phone number and purpose for which the cards were used. The expected revenue from the claimed burnt/missing cards was N24,037,000. The revenue from the cards, which were actually sold and utilized based on forensic evidence, was never remitted to JAMB.
“Also investigation revealed that 2,000 CBT cards were supplied to Nasarawa State Office which were never sold. Rather, the State Coordinator claimed that the said 2,000 CBT cards were among the cards that got burnt in a road accident along Lafia-Akwanga Expressway.
“Contrary to the claim, investigators recovered forensic evidence which showed that the cards were actually not burnt, but utilized by candidates within Nasarawa State and its environs. This forensic evidence further revealed the details of candidates that used the cards, such as name, phone number and purpose for which the cards were used.
“Further investigation revealed that 4,589 change of course cards were supplied to Nasarawa State Office of which they sold 1,426 at the rate of N2,500 each, while 3,163 cards were unused and same was remitted to JAMB. However, the State Coordinator claimed that the remaining 3,163 cards got burnt in the same road accident.”
