Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has quizzed the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita over alleged N3billion contract fraud, according to The Nation newspaper.
She was said to have been subjected to a 4-day grilling during which she was in custody of the anti-graft agency beginning from August 8. Mrs Oyo-Ita has now landed in the hospital after being granted an administrative bail.
She was also interrogated for alleged abuse of duty tour allowance, money laundering and stealing of government funds.
Oyo-Ita is reported to have been given restricted access to visitors at the private hospital in Jabi area of Abuja where she is receiving treatment.
About N600million has allegedly been traced to the account of one of her key aides who has been unable to give any justifiable explanation for it.
EFCC is said to have have blocked the account and has initiated the process of obtaining an interim forfeiture clause to seize the cash.
There are reports that preliminary findings confirmed that about N3billion has been traced to the Head of Service which came in through proxy companies.
Detectives, it was gathered, uncovered slush funds linked to the Head of Service while probing the activities of a former Minister under who she served as Permanent Secretary.
A source privy to the ongoing investigation said: “Preliminary investigation confirmed that she used different fronts or cronies to obtain contracts from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)
“While tracing embezzlement by the ex-Minister, detectives stumbled on diversion of funds into proxy companies which the Head of Service has relationship with.
“The startling revelations made detectives to dig further into her activities as a Permanent Secretary and Head of Service.
“There were proofs of how she secured contracts through proxy firms from some ministries including Special Duties, Power, Works and others. There was a case of abuse of office because there was evidence of pressure on Permanent Secretaries to get her contracts. She moved from one ministry to the other.
“Investigators also discovered that she was involved in falsification of Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) and estacodes
“About N600million has been traced to the account of one of her aides. This illicit account has been blocked and the EFCC is in the process of invoking interim forfeiture clause.”
Sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004 empower the anti-graft agency to apply Interim Assets Forfeiture Clause.