Immigration officer arraigned over alleged N17.6m multiple salaries withdrawal

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Abubakar Mohammed Aseku, an officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), for allegedly receiving N17.6 million in salaries from three different government agencies. 

Aseku, an Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI), is accused of drawing salaries from the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), and the NIS, where he was officially employed.

He appeared before Justice Binta Dogonyaro of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Apo, Abuja, on a nine-count charge of abuse of office and corruption. According to a statement by ICPC spokesman Demola Bakare, Aseku allegedly received N4.2 million from the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology in 2015, while working as a school teacher and simultaneously on active duty with the NIS. Additionally, he is said to have drawn N13.4 million in salaries from DPR between 2018 and 2019 while employed by the Immigration Service.

The ICPC further alleged that Aseku, as a Pay Officer with NIS, facilitated the payment of N4.7 million in salaries to seven individuals who were neither employees of the NIS nor on its payroll. One of the charges reads that Aseku, between October 2018 and October 2019, used his position to receive a total sum of N13,400,889.90 in salaries from the DPR while being employed by the NIS, thereby committing an offence under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Aseku pleaded not guilty to all the charges. His lawyer, Basil Hemba, informed the court that Aseku had previously been granted bail by another FCT High Court in Maitama, urging the court to maintain the existing bail terms. Justice Dogonyaro upheld the bail conditions set by the Maitama court and adjourned the case to April 29 for hearing.