ICPC busts contract scam syndicate in Adamawa, Abuja

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested two suspects, Chuks Arinze in Abuja and Ahmed Dapellu in Yola, Adamawa State, for allegedly defrauding job seekers and contractors.

In a statement issued by the anti-graft spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, she said the arrest followed a report from Adamawa’s immediate past attorney-general, Bala Sanda, to the commission. It said three other suspects are still at large.

According to the statement, the suspects’ mode of operation ”is forging of official documents of ministries, departments, and agencies of the Adamawa State government and using same to defraud unsuspecting members of the public with bogus contracts and job offers.”

Similarly, an investigation of the report led to ICPC officials searching Mr Arinze’s home in Abuja where they found ‘incriminating’ contract documents ”that led him to confess to allegations of forgery and fraud.”

”He confessed to having defrauded two contractors, Jimoh Momoh and Bonny Kalu, of a total sum of N4 million amongst others, and to forging the contract documents himself.

”In making his report to the ICPC, the ex-AG had told the Commission that the state government had received numerous complaints of the activities of the gang. He revealed further that the fraud was uncovered when the duo (contractors) came to Adamawa State to verify the authenticity of the contracts offered to them by the gang.”

The ex-AG reportedly added that many companies have also fallen victim of the gang, ”losing large sums of money to them, because they actually use genuinely advertised government contract as baits.”