The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned a former Deputy Director of Highways at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Augustine Olowoniyan, and a surveyor in the same ministry, Sulaiman Muhammed, over an alleged N1.9 billion fraud.
The defendants appeared before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo, Abuja, facing three charges related to the alleged diversion and misappropriation of public funds amounting to N1,936,961,649.00.
According to a statement by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the funds in question were originally designated for acquiring titles for federal roads nationwide between March 4, 2019, and July 17, 2020, but were allegedly diverted for personal use.
Upon the reading of the charges, both defendants pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution counsel, Abba Muhammed (SAN), requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants in a correctional facility pending trial.
One of the charges stated: “That you, Augustine Ojo Olowoniyan, whilst serving as Deputy Director Highways, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, and Project Coordinator for the acquisition of titles for Federal Roads, and Suleiman Abdulkadir Muhammed, whilst serving as Surveyor of the Department of Highways and Planning, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, between March 4, 2019, and October 21, 2019, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, used your office to confer corrupt advantage upon yourselves by putting to your own use the sum of N807,053,000.00 despite being funds budgeted for the acquisition of titles for Federal Roads Nationwide, thereby committing an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
However, defence counsel J.K. Kolawole and A.S.U. Garba, representing the first and second defendants respectively, requested a brief adjournment to file bail applications and appealed for their clients to be remanded in EFCC custody rather than in a correctional facility.
Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the case until April 3, 2025, for the hearing of bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre.
