The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Ngozi Olejeme, former chairperson of the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), before a federal high court in Abuja over alleged money laundering involving N1 billion.
Olejeme was arraigned on Wednesday on an eight-count charge bordering on converting, transferring, procuring, and taking possession of proceeds of unlawful activity.
According to the EFCC, Olejeme allegedly diverted several funds belonging to the agency between 2012 and 2015 while serving as board chairperson.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Mrs. Ngozi Olejeme, while being the board chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), sometime in February 2012, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, indirectly converted the sum of N321,600,000 (three hundred and twenty-one million, six hundred thousand naira) paid into the Sterling Bank account of Adin Miles International Ltd on February 9, 2012, knowing that the funds constituted proceeds of unlawful activity, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(b) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012).”
Another count accuses her of procuring one Chuka C. Eze to convert the sum of $2 million into naira for payment to Adin Miles International Ltd, knowing that the money represented proceeds of unlawful activity.
Olejeme pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Following her plea, EFCC counsel Emenike Mgbemele requested a trial date, stating that the prosecution intends to call 14 witnesses.
However, defence counsel Emeka Ogboguo urged the court to grant bail to his client, noting that a bail application was already pending before the court.
Presiding judge, Emeka Nwite, ordered that Olejeme be released to her counsel and adjourned the case to November 17 for the hearing of the bail application.
The EFCC had in September 2017 declared Olejeme wanted over allegations of “criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds and money laundering” amounting to N69 billion.
In July 2020, a federal high court in Abuja ordered the interim forfeiture of 48 properties allegedly linked to the former NSITF boss.
By October 2021, Olejeme was arraigned before another federal capital territory (FCT) high court on a separate nine-count charge filed by the EFCC.
The latest arraignment marks a continuation of the anti-graft agency’s long-running probe into alleged mismanagement of NSITF funds during Olejeme’s tenure as chairperson.
