Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo, Abuja, has remanded a former Deputy Director of Highways at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Augustine Olowoniyan, and a surveyor in the Department of Highways and Planning, Sulaiman Muhammed, for diverting over N1.9b in public funds.
The duo were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a three-count charge for allegedly misappropriating funds meant for acquiring titles for federal roads nationwide between March 4, 2019, and July 17, 2020.
The EFCC alleged on Wednesday, that the offense violates Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. One count stated that, “That you, Augustine Ojo Olowoniyan, whilst serving as Deputy Director Highways, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, and Project Coordinator for the acquisition of titles for Federal Roads, and Suleiman Abdulkadir Muhammed, whilst serving as Surveyor of the Department of Highways and Planning, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, between March 4, 2019, and October 21, 2019, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, used your office to confer corrupt advantage upon yourselves by putting to your own use the sum of Eight Hundred and Seven Million, Fifty-Three Thousand Naira (N807,053,000.00) despite being funds budgeted for the acquisition of titles for Federal Roads Nationwide.”
After the charges were read, both defendants pleaded not guilty, prompting the prosecuting counsel, Abba Muhammed to request from the court a trial date and that the defendants be remanded at the Correctional Centre.
The claimant request were however by defense counsels, J.K. Kolawole and A.S.U. Garba who appealed for a short adjournment date in order to to file bail applications and that both defendants be remanded in EFCC custody, not the correctional center.
After listening to both parties’ submission, Justice Onwuegbuzie remanded the defendants at Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the case to April 3, 2025, for bail hearing.
In a separate case, the EFCC arraigned Olowoniyan alone before the same court on another three-count charge bordering on alleged diversion of over N439m while serving in the office. One charge read, “That you, Augustine Ojo Olowoniyan, whilst serving as Deputy Director Highways, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and Project Coordinator for the acquisition of titles for Federal Roads, and in such capacity entrusted with public funds, between March 27, 2019, and December 17, 2019, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, transferred the cumulative sum of Three Hundred and One Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Four Thousand, Two Hundred Naira (N301,994,200.00) to Chile Ushahemba (a staff of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing) and received in cash the sum of Nineteen Million, One Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira (N19,140,000.00), which you converted to your own use.”
He also pleaded not guilty, and the matter was adjourned to April 3, 2025, for bail hearing.
