ICPC quizzes NDDC directors over ‘N5.4bn fraud’

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has quizzed top management staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over allegations of  procurement fraud and misappropriation of  COVID-19 funds.

In a statement on Saturday, Azuka Ogugua, spokesman of ICPC, said some directors of NDDC were interrogated at the commission’s headquarters after months of intelligence gathering.

Oguagua said the interrogation followed receipt of petitions from Nigerians on the alleged illegalities and contracts fraud by some officials of NDDC.

He said they are being investigated for their complicity in the alleged diversion of N5.474 billion meant for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers handling the COVID-19 pandemic in the nine states.

Oguagua said ICPC is also investigating the payments of millions of naira to NDDC for foreign training during the COVID-19 lockdown “which were never attended”, as well as the non-payment of entitlements to students on foreign scholarships.

Other allegations being investigated by ICPC include “the selling of back-dated contract award letters for projects and awards of contracts that were not captured in the budget of the NDDC”.

“ICPC had already retrieved relevant documents with which to continue investigations towards the recovery of diverted funds and prosecution of breaches of the law,” the statement read.

The national assembly had also probed the alleged mismanagement of funds by the interim management committee (IMC) of the NDDC.