The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arrested Abba Moro, the Director-General of Senator David Mark’s campaign organisation. Moro, a former Minister of Interior, was reportedly arrested over the Nigerian Immigration recruitment in which no fewer than 20 job seekers died.
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.
An anonymous source at the EFCC, disclosed that the three suspects were picked up in the evening, according to a report by Premium Times.
“They were brought into the commission’s headquarters today and will be arraigned on a 12-count charge in the Federal High Court Abuja on Tuesday,” the source said.
Some of the charges against Mr. Moro and his colleagues include obtaining by false pretence, procurement offences, corrupt practices and money laundering.
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 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.
After the March 15 tragedy, several Nigerians demanded the resignation or dismissal of Mr. Moro and the Comptroller-General of Immigration, David Parradang, as well as their criminal prosecution for involuntary homicide.
The minister, who initially blamed impatience and refusal by applicants to abide by instructions for the tragedy, later accepted responsibility for the incident.
He, however, refused to step down.
Speaking on a Channels TV’s breakfast programme, Sunrise, on October 20, 2014, Mr. Moro made it clear he would not resign, saying he would rather stay put in office to clear the mess caused by the incidence.
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