N32b Pension Thief Woman Attacks Journalists In Court

There was a drama yesterday a suspect in the N32.8billion pension scam, Mrs Veronica Onyegbula, who was arraigned before an FCT High Court, Abuja turned violent and attacked a photo journalist at the court premises. Onyegbula, who was arraigned along side, Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar, Ahmed Wada, Sani Zira, Uzoma Attang, Christian Madubuke and John Yusuf, had earlier pleaded not guilty to an 18-count charge. Onyegbula attacked a camera man working with Galaxy Television, Desmond Kolawole, who tried to get her photograph while she was stepping out of the court with her face covered with a wrapper.

In the ensuing scuffle, other photo journalists were manhandled and chased about while the accused persons were shielded from the press by some overzealous associates who thronged the court premises.

At the resumed sitting, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacob (SAN), told the court of the amended charges for the accused persons. The EFCC had alleged that the accused persons conspired and sequentially withdrew money from the Police Pension Fund (PPF) in an account domiciled at First Bank of Nigeria and shared it amongst themselves. He said that one of the accused, Inuwa Wada, collected N18 million from Unity Bank Plc, as his reward for retaining the Police Pension Account with the bank. He also said the fraud was perpetuated between January 2009 and June 2011.

He said that their offences, which bordered on conspiracy, fraud and criminal breach of trust, was punishable under Section 97, 315, 115 (ii), 119 and 309 of the Penal Code Act Cap. 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 2007. Rotimi told the court that he had no objection to their bail application and pleaded with the court for a short adjournment to commence trial on the matter. Justice Hussieni Baba-Yusuf, granted the plea and adjourned the matter to May 4, for the commencement of the trial. He said that the accused still maintained their bail terms.