The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC on Monday, March 23, 2020 arraigned the immediate past Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, HoCSF, Winnifred Oyo-Ita before Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
She was arraiagned on 18 count charge bordering on Fraud and Money Laundering. They are being prosecuted over a N570, 000, 000 (Five Hundred and Seventy Million Naira) for offences which involve Corruption, Fraud, Obtaining Estacodes and Duty Travel Allowance, DTA for journeys either not undertaken or not in existence.
Others that were arraigned along with Oyo-Ita were: Frontline Ace Global Services Limited; Asanaya Projects Limited; Garba Umar and his companies: Slopes International Limited and Gooddeal Investments Limited. Ubong Okon Effiok was equally arraigned with his companies: U & U Global Services Limited and Prince Mega Logistics Limited.
One of the counts against Oyo-Ita reads: “That you WINIFRED OYO-ITA aka Winifred Ekanett, whilst being the Head of Civil Service of the Federation) between 2nd August, 2016 and 28th February, 2018 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, took possession of an aggregate Sum of N62,215,169 (Sixty Two Million, Two Hundred and Fifteen Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty Nine Naira) only paid into your Zenith Bank account No: 1001074067 knowing that the said funds formed part of the proceed of an unlawful activity to wit: fraud (purported estacodes, fee for journeys not embarked on) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act”.
They all pleaded not guilty to the 18 count charge.