The Anti-Corruption Agency in Nigeria’s Oyo state has confirmed the arrest of a number of serving and retired civil servants in the state over a fraudulent contract worth N4.8billion, awarded in 2018.
The chairperson of the agency, Justice Eni Esan (retired), in a statement released on Wednesday November 16, 2022, said the fraud was said to have been perpetrated by the individuals at the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency and information about it was concealed till the state’s anti-graft agency discovered it.
Esan said the act involved the payment of the sum of N4.8billion to the three private companies without delivering the project.
The agency is now after the said companies since the case was established and the officers involved were arrested.
“The agency claimed it is after the said companies since the case has been established and the officers involved have been arrested for further investigation and prosecution by the State’s Attorney-General.
“The Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency has nabbed some retired and serving top civil servants of Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency for complicity in a fraudulent contract awarded in 2018.
“OYACA was able to discover this fraud despite concealment by the affected top officials to thwart the investigation exercise, the fraud involved the payment of a humongous amount of money in the sum of N4.8 billion to three companies yet to show up for investigation in spite of our invitations.
“The agency is on the heels of the affected companies to recoup the money paid into their accounts in 2018 for supplies not made to date, while an investigation is still ongoing, OYACA makes bold to say that the law is no respecter of persons and everyone who has any form of connection with the matter will be dealt with according to the law.
“We, hereby, reiterate our commitment to zero tolerance of corruption in the public service of Oyo State.” The statement affirmed.
