N190m Fraud: Court Discharges, Acquits Oronsaye

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted a former Head of Service of the Federation (HoS), Steve Oronsaye, from the N190m corruption charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Ekwo discharged Oronsaye from the fraud charges due to want of merit in the allegations against him.

Delivering judgement on Monday, Justice Ekwo held that EFCC failed to provide enough evidence to warrant Oronsaye’s conviction.

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The former Head of Service of the Federation was arraigned alongside one Osarenkhoe Afe, on a 49-count charge that was later reduced to 22.

The EFCC alleged that the defendants had between 2010 and 2011 used some firms to divert public funds through procurement fraud.

The EFCC equally accused Orosanye and the others of using inflated biometrics enrolment contracts, collective allowances, and other schemes to siphon money from accounts containing pensioners’ funds.

But Justice Ekwo held that the anti-graft agency failed to supply the court, with ingredients that could establish the alleged corruption charges against Oronsaye.

The judge subsequently dismissed the charges in relation to Oronsaye, discharged and acquitted him.

Justice Olasumbo Goodluck of the Court of Appeal had dismissed similar fraud charges against Oronsaye, discharged and acquitted him on the ground that the charges were frivolous and lacked merit that can lead to a conviction of the defendant.