Billion Naira FRAUD! Oronsaye Nigeria's ex Head of Service to be detained for diverting N6Billion Biometric Pension Enrolment fund

Billion Naira FRAUD! Oronsaye to be Charged for diverting N6Billion Biometric Pension Enrolment fund

Former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOS) Steven Oronsaye allegedly diverted over N6 billion biometric pension’s enrolment into private accounts, sources at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, told Pointblanknews.com.

Oronsaye is currently under detention at an EFCC facility while undergoing further interrogation into his involvement in the fraud. He is expected to be charged to court on Thursday on corruption.

He is expected to be charged alongside five others who are considered his accomplices in the fraud he perpetrated while serving as the HOS.

It was gathered that the EFCC investigations show Oronsaye was connected to the billions stolen under the guise of the biometric pension scam regime that implicated Dr. Abdul Maina.

According to sources, Oronsanye as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation was linked to the fraud going on under the pension’s task team and authorized siphoning of billions meant for pensioners.

It was also learnt that the EFCC is set to attach as part of its proof of evidence a recent report by the auditor general of the federation titled Special Audit of the Accounts of Civil Pensions, which indicted Oronsaye of involvement in looting billions.

EFCC sources hinted that the charge sheet has already been prepared and the embattled former Head of Service is likely to remain in custody until he is arraigned tomorrow.

He is also said to haven been questioned for his alleged involvement in looting billions of government funds discovered to have been carried out under the guise of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force (FATF) set up during President Umaru Yaradua’s administration.

Oronsaye is alleged to have collected funds from government agencies in the name of the committee which he chaired.

He is alleged to have collected billions of naira as funding for the committee which he channeled into some illegal accounts.

When contacted yesterday, the spokesman of the EFCC Wilson Uwujaren confirmed that Oronsaye is being held by the commission in its detention facility at the EFCC headquarters.

The fraud Details:

Oronsaye was arrested and interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in Abuja for several hours over alleged N123billion traced to his office. Nigerian Pilot learnt that Oronsaye honoured the EFCC’s invitation yesterday morning when he appeared at its headquarters in Wuse 2, for interrogation by its operatives. 

A senior operative of the commission confirmed to Nigerian Pilot that Oronsaye was with them to explain his role in the N123billion fraud traced to the HoS office during his tenure. The alleged scam came to limelight in September 2014 when the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, AGF, released a report which linked and indicted Oronsaye of fraud. 

Obasanjo appointed Oronsanye as HoS in June 2009 and he remained in office till November 16, 2010 when he retired. In the 169-page report, entitled “Special Audit of the Accounts of the Civil Pensions”, Oronsaye was accused of presiding over the theft of the country’s resources. In May 2011, the Federal Government audited the accounts of the Civilian Pension Department in Oronsaye’s office through a Special Audit Team, which unearthed sharp practices in the management of the scheme. 

According to the report, between 2005 and 2010, financial abuses, shady transactions and theft of public funds occurred during the 18 months that Oronsaye was in office. Although the report was submitted to the government in 2012, no action was taken on it. Nigerian Pilot learnt that the EFCC reopened the case because of President Muhammadu Buhari’s vow to bring all corrupt public officers to book.

-Pointblank News, Nigerian Pilot