Alleged N2.5bn Fraud: Lai Moh’d keeps mum as documents he approved for payment surface

By Mumini Abdulkareem

Embattled minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohamed last night ignored several calls and text message seeking his reaction to his alleged involvement in the N2.5bn fraud rocking the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
Similarly, one of the minister’s long time ally and a special adviser to the President on Information and Culture, Williams Adeyeye refused to pick several calls and text message sent to him seeking response on the issue.
The text messages sent to both Mohammed and Adeyeye Wednesday reads:
Sir, we want your comment on Premium Times’ report concerning your approval of N2.5bn for NBC currently being probed by ICPC” and “we want your comment on Premium Times’ report concerning alleged illegal approval of N2.5bn for NBC by Min of Information, Alhaja Lai Mohammed currently being probed by ICPC, sir”,
The minister came under heavy attack by legal practitioners in Kwara State last week including a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)over report of his (Mohammed) claim that he approved the contentious fund ignorantly.
They subsequently called for the minister’s prosecution over the issue.
The trial of the Director-General of the NBC, Is-haq Kawu Modibbo by the ICPC took a new twist last week following report of alleged admittance of the Minister that he approved the controversial fund ignorantly based on the advice of Modibbo.
The ICPC hinted on the possible arraignment of the minister over the issue.
Online news medium, Premium Times, last Wednesday quoted the agency’s spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa that if further revelations emerged during Kawu’s trial that could necessitate arraigning the minister, ICPC will not hesitate to do so.
She added that the minister was not initially charged because he said he was deceived into signing the payment.
The minister and NBC DG are both leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State.
But last night, Premium Times published an exclusive follow up to its last story with several documents of how the Minister approved the “fraudulent payment”.
The paper said “A newly-obtained batch of documents has further exposed how the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed was instrumental to the release of N2.5 billion in questionable payments to a private digital broadcast signal provider.
“The payments in May 2017 to Pinnacle Communications Limited by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) have now been deemed fraudulent by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). The agency had also brought charges against four individuals, including the Director-General of NBC, Modibbo Kawu.
“Kawu, as well as Lucky Omoluwa and Dipo Onifade, the two Pinnacle executives also standing trial for the payments, all denied allegations of fraud”, the paper said.
The report went viral in several online platforms and whatsapp groups in Ilorin, yesterday.
Premium Times had also reported in another excusive report how Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) had reportedly demanded the corruption case file of the NBC DG in a move that was believed was to frustrate the trial and shield the minister.
The attorney general has the legal authority to assume supervision over any criminal case instituted by the Nigerian government.
Speaking on the issue, last week, Barr. Abeni Muhammed (SAN) maintained that the information minister should equally be dragged to court for prosecution.
He noted further that it’s quite unfortunate for Lai Mohammed whom he said is the mouth piece of the campaign against corruption of the Buhari administration to claim he failed to consider the details of the NBC recommendation before approving it.
“…they both acted fraudulently and the minister should be charged for the same offence the NBC boss was charged. It looks like a conspiracy between the two of them to misuse or divert government fund.
“It is unfortunate, this is coming from somebody who is the mouth piece against corruption for this government, he cannot be right to say he forgot to follow due process in approving the fund,” he stressed.
Also, Barrister Tafa Ahmed said the development is a slap on the information minister and the nation.
“Would Lai Mohammed say he’s serving Nigerians properly by approving such a huge amount of money without the details? As the number one officer in that Ministry, he is supposed to go through the documents painstakingly before giving any consent. Claiming that he’s ignorant of the documents he signed is a big slap on him and the nation,” Ahmed had submitted.