- An official of JAMB, Philomina Chieshe, recounts her statement that a snake swallowed N36m
- An EFCC source says Chieshe did not mention any episode of any snake and the disappearance of monies in her care when she was questioned by the anti-graft agency
- The anti-graft agency is set to arrest lawmaker Leo Ogor over constituency project
An official of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Philomina Chieshe, who claimed that N36 million realised from the sale of scratch cards was swallowed by a snake, has recounted her statement.
The Nation reports that Chieshe in a new confession to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that her coordinator in JAMB?s Makurdi office, Samuel Sale Umoru, collected the N36m from her.
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The newspaper stated that a fact-sheet from the anti-corruption agency indicated that Chieshe was first quizzed on February 16, 2017 and she made additional statements on April 7 and 13, 2017, May 30, 2017 and June 28, 2017.
The fact-sheet read in part: "Philomina Chieshe, the lady in the eye of the Naira eating snake storm in JAMB, has been singing before the EFCC. And, contrary to her claim before the leadership of the examination body that the N36 million proceed from sale of scratch cards were eaten up by a snake, Chieshe told operatives of the anti- graft agency that the money was collected piecemeal from her by her coordinator, Mr. Samuel Sale Umoru.
?In one of the statements she volunteered to the EFCC, Chieshe, who is a clerk in the Makurdi office of JAMB, revealed that the Coordinator usually asked her to withdraw proceeds of the sale of the Scratch Cards from her account in two new generation banks.
?This money I withdrew, the coordinator used it for the office and some time for himself.
?She claimed that she had been warning Umoru that it was improper to use the money for miscellaneous expenses in the office or for private purposes but he would not listen.
?She also claimed that Umoru was in the habit of drawing IOU from the proceeds of the sale of the cards without reimbursing her.
?Some of the withdrawals which she claimed were at the behest of the coordinator included the N340,000 withdrawn on May 5 and 26, 2014 with ATM card. She also disclosed that she used her ATM card to withdraw N120,000 for the coordinator between June 17 and 18, 2014.?
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Chieshe said her coordinator also instructed her to withdraw N640,000, using her card between June 30, 2014.
A source who works with the anti-graft agency confirmed that investigators had verified the withdrawals and had arrested Umoru about claims by Chieshe.
?Umoru did not deny the allegations. He was however released on administrative bail but had been reporting monthly to the anti- graft agency.
?The interesting aspect of the disclosure is that Chieshe?s statement was obtained long before the snake and Naira swallowing testimony became public knowledge. In all her statements before the EFCC, there was no mention of any episode of any snake and the disappearance of monies in her care,? the source said.
In another report, the EFCC on Monday, March 5, secured a warrant to arrest the minority leader of the House of Representatives, Leo Ogor, over N500million constituency projects which according to the EFCC were ?suspiciously unexecuted?.
The Nation reports that the projects were allegedly awarded to companies linked to Ogor according to the anti-graft agency.
The EFCC had earlier frozen N116 million in the accounts of five out of six companies owned by Ogor and being allegedly used to secure contracts from some agencies as constituency projects.
Nigerians react as snake reportedly swallows N36million | Street Gist
Source: Naija.ng