12 Top Corruption Cases in Nigeria

1. N195 Billion Maina Pension Scam
It is believed that Alhaji Maina misappropriated billions of
naira worth of pension funds, which he claimed to have
recovered from pension thieves. The senate committee
probing pension funds management accused him of mopping
up pension funds from banks and depositing the money in
his private accounts. According to the committee, this
mopping of such funds had made it impossible to pay
thousands of pensioners across the country for months.
When he was summoned to appear and clear the air on the
committee’s findings, Alhaji Maina instituted a N1.5bn case
against the senate and the inspector general of police. Things
came to a head last week when the senate passed a resolution
asking the presidency to sack Alhaji Maina within two days
or face its wrath. Although the presidency had initially
insisted that only the head of service could sack Maina, it
subsequently changed its tone and ordered that disciplinary
action should be taken against him for absconding from his
duty post without permission.
Punishment: None fled Nigeria.
2. Kerosene Subsidy Scam
The Former Governor of the Central bank and Now Emir of
Kano Mr Sanusi had shown that the kerosene subsidy was
eliminated in 2009 by a directive of the late president Umaru
Yar’Adua. Further evidence, in the form of official data from
across Nigeria, shows that nowhere in the country is
kerosene sold at a subsidised rate. It is bought by the NNPC
at N150, sold to marketers at N40-N50, but retails at N170-
N250. Mr Sanusi estimates that $100m goes astray this way
each month.
“The margin of 300-500 per cent over purchase price is
economic rent, which never got to the man on the street. In
dollar terms every vessel of kerosene imported by NNPC with
federation money cost about $30m and it was sold at $10 or
$11m generating rent of $20m per vessel to the syndicate,” he
writes.
It was learnt that since the national assembly members
concluded their investigations, no officials of the NNPC or the
marketers have been sanctioned, thus emboldening them to
continue to import kerosene and allocate to themselves and
their cronies.
Apparently due to alleged pecuniary benefits, the NNPC has
continued to import kerosene and allocate in questionable
circumstances to individuals and groups at the ex-depot price
of N40.90.
But rather than selling the product at the subsidised price of
N50 per litre at filling stations, the beneficiaries of these
allocations sell the product to middlemen at N95 or N100 per
litre at the gates of the depots.
These middlemen, it was learnt, truck the product to the
filling stations and sell between N130 and N150 per litre.
It was alleged that marketers give some of their allocations to
some top PPMC officials to ensure that they turn blind eye to
the scam.
The failure of the NNPC to implement a presidential directive
removing subsidy from kerosene has fuelled suspicion among
the stakeholders.
Punishment: None.
3. $6bn Fuel Subsidy Scam
Nigeria’s parliament has discussed a report said to reveal
that $6bn (£4bn) has been defrauded from the fuel subsidy
fund in the past two years.
The debate, which was televised live, made official findings
that have been widely leaked in recent days.
The fuel sector probe was set up in the wake of angry
nationwide protests in January after the government tried to
remove a fuel subsidy.
Nigeria is a major oil producer but has to import most of its
fuel.
Notable members of the PDP or their families were involved
in the scam like Mamman Ali and Mahmud Tukur.
Punishment: Ongoing court cases, no convictions. House of
reps report tainted by Farouk Lawan bribery setup.
4. 123bn Naira Fraud – Stephen Oronsaye
A damning report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the
Federation has indicted a former Head of the Civil Service of
the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, over an alleged
N123billion fraud perpetrated during his tenure, between
2009 and 2010.
The 169-page report, entitled “Special Audit of the Accounts
of the Civil Pensions,” according to an online news medium,
Premium Times, found Oronsaye guilty of allegedly presiding
over the looting of the nation’s resources during his tenure.
The audit by the auditor-general arose from the work of a
Special Audit Team constituted by the federal government in
May 2011 to conduct a comprehensive examination of the
accounts of the Civilian Pension Department domiciled in the
Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
The audit, which covered the period 2005 to 2010, uncovered
monumental financial irregularities, opaque transactions,
irregular and abnormal running costs, and outright stealing
and kick backs said to have reached its zenith during the 18
months that Oronsaye served as Head of Service.
But no action has been taken to bring all those indicted to
book.
Punishment: No action taken.
5. Police Pension Fund Fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
arraigned the ex-permanent secretary in the Ministry of
Niger Delta Affairs, now a director in the Police Pension
Office, Atiku Abubakar Kigo; the chief accountant, Mrs.
Uzoma Cyril Attang, and four others before an Abuja high
court on an 18-count charge of conspiracy, breach of trust
and embezzlement of N32.8 billion police pension funds.
The six accused persons were docked before Justice Hussain
Baba to whom the case was reassigned following a
controversial judgement of the first trial judge, Justice
Abubakar Talba: he gave a light sentence to one of the
accused, John Yusuf, who pleaded guilty to a three-count
charge.
But Attang, who was arraigned by the EFCC for the first time
in connection with the alleged fraud, was granted N10million
bail and two sureties in like sum.
Those who were re-arraigned include Esai Dangabar, Atiku
Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs Veronica Ulonma
Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, Christian Madubuike, and John
Yusuf who had been convicted.
Punishment: accused got a two years sentence or 750,000
fine. Paid 750,000.
6. Stella Oduah car purchase scandal
The committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to
probe the N255m bulletproof car scandal in the aviation
ministry has indicted the Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah.
It was gathered in Abuja that the report of the presidential
committee tallied with some findings of the House of
Representatives Committee on Aviation on the scandal.
In October, there were reports that with the approval of the
minister, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority purchased
two bulletproof BMW cars at an allegedly inflated rate of
N255m.
The development sparked a countrywide controversy with
many Nigerians and groups calling for her sacking.
Punishment: None.
7. NNPC missing $20billion naira
Even in a country where untold oil wealth disappears into
the pockets of the elite, the oil corruption scheme he was
investigating seemed outsize — and he threatened to lay it
bare at a meeting with Nigeria’s top bankers.
The whistleblower was none other than the governor of the
country’s central bank. Weeks later, however, he was out,
fired by Nigeria’s president in an episode that has shaken the
Nigerian economy, filled newspapers and airwaves here, and
even inspired a rare street demonstration.
The bankers were going to have to open their books, the
governor, Lamido Sanusi, warned them at the recent meeting.
He wanted to see where the money was going — $20 billion
from oil sales that, mysteriously, was not making its way to
the treasury, in a country that could soon be declared
Africa’s biggest economy and already attracts the most direct
foreign investment on the continent, according to the United
Nations.
Punishment: Whistle blower was fired. The FG ordered an
Audit of the NNPC. Audit report later indicts NNPC,
corporation to refund $1.48billion
8. $15 million in Private Jet Arms Scandal
A private jet that conveyed $9.3 million cash from Nigeria to
South Africa for an alleged arms deal between the two
countries, had Nigerian crew members, and passengers from
Israel and Austria.
Punishment: government claims involvement in scandal. No
further explanations to individuals on board. Blames US for
black market arms deal.
9. Crude Oil Theft Scandal
According to President Goodluck Jonathan, 300,000-400,000
barrels of oil per day, or more than 10% of all Nigeria’s
production, is being lost at a cost to the state and oil
companies of around £1bn a month – more than is spent on
education and the health of the nation’s 168 million people.
Not only is Nigerian oil theft helping to keep the world price
of oil high, it is causing corruption and social disorder, says
the president.
Punishment: None, ex militant given contract worth billions
to secure waterways. Rather than a decrease in oil theft, a
marked increase is seen.
10. Ekiti Gate
The audio recordings depict the meeting as being attended by
the eventual “winner” of the election, Governor Ayo Fayose
of Ekiti; Senator Iyiola Omisore; a man identified as
Honorable Abdulkareem; the Minister for Police Affairs Caleb
Olubolade; and Senator Musiliu Obanikoro who was at the
time the Minister of State for Defence. Mr. Chris Uba came to
Ekiti with huge stash of cash and soldiers from the East to
carry out the assignment.
The 37-minute recording details the conversation between
these men as they bribed Brigadier General Momoh with a
promotion for his assistance in carrying out election fraud in
Ekiti. In it, Obanikoro is clearly heard informing the group of
men, “[I] am not here for a tea party, am on special
assignment by the President.”
SaharaReporters further received credible intelligence that
President Goodluck Jonathan had instructed the Chief of
Defense Staff, Alex Badeh, to use the army in arresting and
intimidating opposition politicians before and during the
election. The audio recording provides exact details of the
plot, with the collaborators almost degenerating into physical
combat.
11. Mohammed Abacha N446 Billion case
The government had Charged Abacha to court on nine counts
of stealing against Mohammed in February 2014.
It had accused him of unlawfully receiving about N446.3bn
allegedly stolen from its coffers between 1995 and 1998.
But on Wednesday, the Attorney-General of the Federation
and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, asked Justice
Mamman Kolo of the FCT High Court to strike out the charges
on the grounds of “fresh facts” that just emerged concerning
the case.
He was silent on whether new charges would be filed against
Mohammed or not.
Efforts to arraign Mohammed on two previous occasions
were unsuccessful because of his repeated absence from
court.
But he was present in court on Wednesday when a private
prosecuting counsel, Daniel Enwelum, informed the court of
Adoke’s instruction to discontinue the case.
Applying to court for the withdrawal of the case, Enwelum
said, “I have been instructed by the AGF and Minister of
Justice to withdraw the charges as presently filed before this
court, because there are fresh facts and documents available
to him.
Punishment: None.
12. N7Billion Bribe to Christian Religious Leaders
On the 4th of February, The Director-General, Buhari
Presidential Campaign organisation, Governor Rotimi
Amaechi of Rivers State, accused some church leaders of
taking N7 billion in bribes from the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, to campaign against the presidential candidate of
All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari
(rtd).
Governor Amaechi, at the APC’s governorship campaign rally,
in Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers State, said
already, the religious leaders were allegedly distributing
leaflets all over that Buhari had plans to Islamize the country
if elected.
Amaechi called on the pastors to return the alleged bribe
collected from the PDP.
By the 19th of February, A Borno-based Pastor, Kallamu
Musa-Dikwa, said that the money that was given to pastors
by the President was actually N7bn and not N6bn as alleged
by Amaechi.
The PDP has since denied this.