Immigration recruitment fraud: How applicants’ registration fees was shared – Witnesses

Two prosecution witnesses have narrated how the sum of N675,675,000 realised from 675,675 applicants for job placements at Nigerian Immigration Services in 2014 was shared.

They testified in the ongoing trial of the then Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, and others on charges of recruitment fraud.

Recall that they were charged after job applicants died during the recruitment exercises of the NIS.

The defendants are Moro, a former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia; and a deputy director in the ministry, Mr. Femi Alayebami.

The other defendant is Drexel Tech. Nigeria Limited, a firm that carried out the NIS recruitment exercise on behalf of the ministry.

The witnesses include Head of Finance of Payforme Services Nigeria Limited, Mr. Augustine Ugorji, and an employee of Keystone Bank, Mrs. Bilikisu Mohammed.

Ugorji, who said he worked for Payforme from 2010 to 2016, said, “Drexel had a contract with Ministry of Interior for job recruitment.

“Provision of payment site or payment platform to receive the payment from applicants was sub-let to payforme.

He listed the banks engaged by Payforme to be Union Bank, United Bank of Africa, Diamond Bank, Zenith Bank, Sterling Bank, Ecobank, and Enterprise Bank.

He said from the N1,000 paid by each applicant, Payforme was paid N150 out of which N70 went to the receiving bank.

He said, “The agreement between Drexel and Ministry of Interior was for each applicant to pay N1,000 and Drexel agreed to pay Payforme N150 from the N1,000.

“From the N150, Payforme was paid N80 and and N70 to the banks.

“The balance of N850 went to Drexel.

“The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System where banks do their clearing, was paid by Payforme in line with an agreement.

“We had 675,675 that made payment through our platform.”

He said after the banks deducted their N70 commission from the N1,000 paid by each of the applicants, the following amounts were remitted by each of the banks: “Zenith Bank:
22,425,396; Sterling Bank: 38,013,420; UBA N190,187,416; Diamond Bank N114,616,260; Union Bank,N133,862,010; Fidelity Bank, N58,175, 617; Enterprise Bank N12, 527,100 and Ecobank N48,456,817.”

He said at the end of the day, “We remitted 574,327,500 through Keystone Bank” to Drexel.

The judge then adjourned until November 7 and 8 for further trial.

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