The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday revealed that it will today arraign the immediate-past Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOS), Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, over alleged N3 billion graft.
According to a statement by the commission’s acting spokesperson, Mr. Tony Orilade, on Sunday, she will be arraigned before Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The ex-HOS was arrested on August last year, for alleged abuse of duty tour allowance, money laundering, stealing of government funds and released on administrative bail after spending four days in the custody of the commission.
She was subsequently sacked in September after about N600 million was allegedly found in the bank account of one of her aides.
The EFCC alleged that about N3 billion was traced to her, money said to be kickback from contracts, illegal estacodes and duty tour allowance she received from the government.
Orilade said the accused would be arraigned alongside her Special Assistant, Ubong Effiok; Frontline Ace Global Services Limited; Asanaya Projects Ltd.; Garba Umar and his companies, Slopes International Ltd.; Gooddeal Investments Ltd.
Other defendants include U & U Global Services Ltd., belonging to Mr Effiok and Prince Mega Logistics Ltd.
“During investigation, it was discovered that Oyo-Ita, in her roles in the civil service as Director, Permanent Secretary and Head of Service, used her companies as well as Effiok and Umar’s companies as fronts to receive kickbacks from contractors of various ministries and parastatals where she worked.
“The former HOS in collusion with Effiok who was her Special Assistant, along with one Titus Tomsin, made bogus claims of fictitious DTA, estacodes, conference fees which were paid by the government to the accounts of the suspects,” the EFCC said.
