The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday, acquitted Abba Moro, a former Interior Minister of charges of procurement fraud in respect of the 2014 botched Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment.
The court, however, convicted a former Permanent Secretary of the ministry Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, of complacency in the 2014 botched failed exercise.
Mrs Daniel-Nwobia was prosecuted alongside Mr Moro, a serving senator, and others in relation to the recruitment which led to the death of 15 people.
The Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC), had arraigned Mrs Daniel-Nwobia alongside the former minister of Interior, Senator Abba Moro, and three others, over alleged N676 million recruitment fraud in 2014.
Also arraigned were an ex-director in the ministry of Interior, Felix O Alayebami, one Mahmood Ahmadu (at large), and the contracting firm that handled the recruitment job, Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd., on 11-count charge over the botched Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment exercise in 2014.
The recruitment exercise conducted in March 2014 led to the death of no fewer than 20 applicants, while many others were injured in stampedes in Moshodi Abiola Stadium, Abuja, Port Harcourt stadium and Minna Stadium.
EFCC had in the charge, stated that N1,000 was extorted from each applicant through e-payment for the online application and in the process defrauded Nigerian applicants to the tune of N676,675,000 million.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had earlier during the trial discharged and acquitted the defendants on counts 1,2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, following a no-case submission, but ordered the defendants to enter defence on counts 3, 4 and 11.
Delivering judgement on Thursday, Nnamdi Dimgba, the presiding judge, held that the EFCC failed to establish the allegation of procurement fraud against the defendants.
The judge dismissed the allegation of abuse of office against Moro, over inadequate arrangement and provision of safety measures for the exercise — after 667,000 applicants paid N1,000 each.
He said the NIS CG testified that there was inadequate funding for the exercise, while also failing to directly take charge of the exercise.
“I believe some flak must be reserved for the PW1 (David Paradang), who was the comptroller-general of the Nigeria Immigration Service”, he said.
Dimgba held that Drexel’s proposal to conduct an e-recruitment was in national security interest due to allegations of nepotism and job racketeering in the previous exercises.
He said the prosecution failed to show that the failure to advertise the contract gave undue advantage to the company.
The judge said however, that the permanent secretary, Mrs Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, was guilty on count 4, which he noted, carries maximum jail term of 5 years without an option of fine.
But he deferred sentencing of Mrs Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia to April 27, in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act
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