By Joy Baba
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested the head of Capital Accounts at the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), Abuja, for alleged corruption, money laundering and abuse of public office.
Imaobong Akon Esu-Nte, a level 14 officer, who is on secondment to the NPS from the Federal Ministry of Finance, was picked up by the operatives of the EFCC on Tuesday, and grilled for several hours over the huge amount of money found in companies’ accounts all traced to her.
Operatives of the agency reportedly swooped on Esu-Nte following intelligence reports that she had been using her office to transact business as a private contractor in violation of extant public service regulation, which forbids civil servants from doing so.
Investigators said that the lifestyle of the suspect, who is on a monthly salary of N121, 460, was at variance with the level of opulence being displayed by her.
Apart from tracing the sum of N200 million to companies owned by her and her children, the EFCC said the woman had also been remitting money amounting to N60 million into the account of an Abuja-based Pentecostal church.
She is also said to be in possession of several exotic cars and property in various parts of Abuja. The commission said that among the property were a palatial mansion, a duplex with two-bedroom Boys Quarters at Sun City Estate, Abuja and another duplex at Karu Extension, Abuja, now nearing completion.
Three top-of-the-range automobiles were recovered from her at the time of arrest. They include a Mercedes Benz ML 350 4matic, Mercedes Benz GL 500 and a Toyota Sienna.
EFCC sources said Esu-Nte’s arrest was triggered by intelligence report on suspicious in-flow of huge funds into her account with a new generation bank.
Close scrutiny of the account by investigators literally opened a can of worms, as it came to light that the suspect “is the promoter and signatory to the accounts of three companies: Abasiaga Global Resources Limited, Abasiono Nigeria Limited and Ememima Global Ventures Limited, which she established shortly after being posted to the NPS.”
Curiously too, all the directors are the suspect’s children. She was also said to be the owner of two other companies- Darima Properties and ID Petroleum, into which a huge amount of unjustified cash had been flowing into steadily.
The accounts of her companies were said to have recorded an inflow of about N200million between 2009 and now.
Spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest of the woman, but warned public officers engaged in corrupt practices to desist or risk the wrath of the law.
