EFCC interrogates Kwara NUT chairman, others over alleged N31m salary fraud

The Ilorin Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) said it had interrogated Mr Salihu Idris Toyin, the state Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), over alleged N31 million salary fraud.

The anti-corruption agency said this in a statement signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Mr Dele Oyewale and made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Friday.

Also interrogated in connection to the alleged fraud included the Permanent Secretary, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Bayo Audu Onimago, Director of Finance SUBEB, Ahmed Husain, Controller of Finance SUBEB, Omole John, and the state coordinator of NUT, Tijani Idris.

The EFCC alleged that the suspects shared among themselves N31 million meant for the payment of salary of over 400 teachers working with the state SUBEB.

Oyewale said the state Chairman of NUT allegedly confessed to have paid N12 million into an account being operated by him and his accomplices.

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According to him, the money was actually not supposed to be deposited in the account, but he withdrew it and gave it to SUBEB officials, and they gave him N3 million to share among themselves.

“He also received another credit alert of N19 million, withdrew N4 million from it, and used N1.5 million for clearing and interlocking of their quarters, while the remaining N2.5 million is still with him,” he said.

EFCC spokesman said the NUT Chairman could not,  however, provide the receipt of the transaction for the so-called ” clearing and interlocking.

He said the commission would arraign the suspects at the conclusion of its investigation.

NAN recalls that the commission had on June 11, announced its discovery of about 1,000 ghost workers, allegedly smuggled into the payroll of the state SUBEB. (NAN)