The minister of Interior in ex President Goodluck Jonathan’s government, Abba Moro, has been remanded in Kuje Prison by Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court in Abuja over his alleged complicity in the N676 million immigration recruitment scam.
Also remanded in prison custody was a Deputy Director in the ministry, Mr. F. O Alayebami.
The ex-Minister and the two others were arrested by EFCC over 2014 immigration recruitment scam,
Operatives of EFCC had last year questioned the immediate past Minister of Interior over alleged complicity in the March 2014 recruitment exercise for the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
Abba Moro was made to answer questions on his alleged involvement in the recruitment exercise which eventually turned tragic.
Reports revealed that there were only 4,000 vacancies that were to be filled in NIS, while the Ministry of Interior approved the sale of application scratch cards to over 520,000 citizens, through a consulting firm.
Yet the ministry failed to provide adequate provision for the conduct of standard recruitment aptitude test. About 18 job seekers died and many injured in March 2014 during a nationwide recruitment test.
The over 500,000 applicants who indicated interest in the job had paid a compulsory fee of N1,000 as application fee.
At least, nine job seekers died on March 15, 2014 at the Abuja National Stadium while scrambling to secure seats for a recruitment test into the Nigerian Immigration Service.
The stampede ensued after the over 200,000 job seekers scrambled through a poorly organized barricade at the stadium.
In Port Harcourt, Rivers State, four applicants died from the stampede while 12 others sustained injuries and were rushed to Rivers government-owned Braithwaite Memorial Hospital.
Also arrested by the anti-graft agency were former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Anaesthesia Nwaobia, and a deputy director who allegedly facilitated the scam. [myad]
