The Makurdi zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a lecturer of the Nassarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), for alleged N19m fraud.
The suspect, Moses Adoga, was arraigned at the state high court, in Lafia, for allegedly diverting a Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) grant of N19 756, 200 for other purposes, an offense punishable under section 312 of the penal code laws.
Adoga was said to have obtained the grant through the NSUK in 2010 to fund his Cellular and Molecular Biology Ph.D. at UK’s Bangor University but allegedly diverted the funds for purposes believed to be unrelated to education.
His one-count charge read:
“That you Moses Peter Adoga sometime in 2011 in Keffi within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court being entrusted with the sum of N19,765,200 from Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) paid into your United Bank for Africa account through Nasarawa State University Diamond Bank Account for the purpose of Academic staff training and development at Bangor University in the United Kingdom; did dishonestly convert same to your own use and thereby committed a criminal breach of trust contrary to section 311 and punishable under section 312 of Penal Code Laws.”
Simon Aboki, the trial judge, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N2m with two sureties in like sum on Friday. This was after he pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the allegations.
Following his plea, Mary Onoja, the prosecution counsel, requested that a date be fixed for Adoga’s trial and that the suspect be remanded in prison pending the hearing of his bail application.
But S. K. Sheltu, the defence counsel, objected and applied for bail for Adoja.
The case was thereafter adjourned until July 10, 2019.
