Crimes

ICPC arrests agric ministry officials for fraud, N250m cash recovered

The operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have arrested no fewer than five senior officials in the Department of Farm Inputs Supports Services (FISS) of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development over alleged diversion of funds meant for monitoring exercise and sensitisation programmes.

It was gathered that the ministry officials were arrested at the Bank of Agriculture Building, Central Business District in Garki, Abuja, on Thursday, August 10, 2023.

It was learnt that the ICPC detained four of the officials for a few days before they were later released, while the director among them was released on health grounds.

A source disclosed that over N200 million was found in the bank account of one of the arrested officials, while over N100 million was found in the bank account of one of his children.

Over N250 million cash was also said to have been found in the house of one of the arrested officials in Abuja.

The ICPC, it was further gathered, discovered an inflow of over N60 million in six months into the bank account of one of the suspects.

It was learnt that the ICPC also seized landed properties, including a bakery and one herbal hospital.

Confirming the arrest, the ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, said the investigation was still on.

“When the case goes to court, it will be in the public domain. There is nothing I can discuss, it will be tantamount to media trial,” Ogugua told Punch.

The Star