The arraignment of Dr. Sunday Nkereuwem Etukudoh, Provost of the Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology (FSMLT), Jos over his complicity in N4.2 million fraud, earlier slated for yesterday before Justice D. V. Agishi of the Federal High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State, was stalled by the absence of the judge, who was said to be away on another official assignment.

Etukudoh is to be arraigned alongside Oyibo on a six-count charge bordering on fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The FSMLT Provost, in connivance with Ilemona Henry Oyibo, Desk Officer in the Budget Office of the Federation, allegedly in 2014 obtained money to the tune of N4.2million from the Federal Government under the pretext of organising “Budget Preparation Training for the Account/Budget Call Officers of FSMLT, Jos and converted same to personal use.

The offence is in contravention of Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.

Though, parties were in court, the defendants could not take their pleas as the presiding judge was ‘unavoidably absent’.

In the circumstance, Takon Ndifon and Solomon Umoh, SAN, representing the prosecution and the defendants, respectively met and agreed on September 18, 2018 date for possible arraignment.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Dr Sunday Nkereuwem Etukodoh, being the Provost and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Jos, and Ilemona Henry Oyibo being the Desk Officer in the Budget Office of the Federation, sometime in 2014 in Jos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspire among yourselves to commit an offence to wit; to obtain money from the Federal Government of Nigeria under the false pretence of organising Budget Preparation Training for the Account/Budget Call Officers of the Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Jos which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.

Particulars of count two read: “That you, Dr Sunday Nkereuwem Etukodoh being the Provost and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Jos, and Ilemona Henry Oyibo being the Desk Officer in the Budget Office of Federation, on or about the 29th day of December, 2014 in Jos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N1,138,900.00 (One Million, One Hundred and Thirty-Eight Thousand Nine Hundred Naira) from the Federal Government of Nigeria via Account No: 1004577071 domiciled at Zenith Bank, Plc in the name of Ilemona Henry Oyibo, under the pretence that the said amount is consultant fee for organising Budget Preparation Training for the Account/ Budget Call Officers of the Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Jos which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.

Etukudoh is currently facing another charge before Justice D. D. Longji of the Plateau State High Court, where he, alongside Yusuf Samuel, Accountant, FSMLT; Ernest Demtoe, Secretary of Tenders Board, FSMLT; Goodluck Echewa, and Esio Udoh, both contractors of FSMLT, are being prosecuted on a 15-count charge of conspiracy and diversion of funds to the tune of N359 million.

Update news