By Edwin Eriye
Fresh details have emerged as to how the duo of Samuel Saleh Umoru, chief accounting officer of Makurdi Zonal Office of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Mrs Philomina Chieshe, a clerical officer in the same office, conspired to stop the Board’s auditor, Mallam Ibrahim Oba, from carrying out a financial audit of the zonal office with a bribe of N50, 000. 00.
This was revealed by the first prosecution witness, Patrick Obilo who is also an auditor with the Board, as he appeared before Justice Peter Affen of the Federal Capital High Court, Maitama, Abuja on Monday.
Umoru and Chieshe are first and second defendants respectively in a charge brough against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over the disappearance of JAMB’s N35, 000, 000 in its Markurdi Zonal Office, where they both work.
Blackbox Nigeria learnt that, during Obilo’s cross-examination by prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, he disclosed that Oba was sent to the Markurdi Office of JAMB in 2016 for a routine examination of the account books and consignment notes, which show quantities of items supplied such e-facility cards used to check and print results, change of course card, scratch cards, question and answer cards, receipts or tellers.
He revealed that during this procedure, Chieshe visited Oba’s hotel room with an envelope containing a sum of N50, 000 as “gift” from her boss, Umoru, and urged him to return to Abuja.
The auditor according to Obilo, sensed danger and returned to Abuja and reported the situation to the head of JAMB’s Audit Unit, James Ochijele, who ordered that the N50, 000 “gift” be paid into the Board’s account.
