The Federal High Court of Lagos, on Thursday, sentenced a former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Productivity, Clement Illoh, to four years in prison ober N65 million INSURANCE-P fraud project.
The judge, Babs Kuewunmi, handed down the sentence after Illoh abruptly changed her earlier plea from “not guilty” to “guilty” mid-trial on Thursday.
According to a statement from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, the team of prosecutors questioned the accused during the trial on Thursday.
In the course of the proceedings, the statement says, the defense attorney, TS Awana, sought permission from the court to consult with his client.
Thereafter, the defendant, through his attorney, requested to change his plea from “not guilty” to “”guilty””.
The judge, Mr. Kuewunmi, granted the request and Mr. Illoh, who had previously been convicted of fraud, pleaded “guilty”.
The judge also heard the allocutus, petition for clemency, presented by the defense attorney.
Judgment
However, at his sentencing, Mr. Kuewunmi said: “I have paid due attention to the defendant’s allocutus.
“However, the court will not fail to perform its duty in accordance with the provisions of the law.”
The judge then sentenced the defendant to four years in prison for each of the three counts.
But he ordered that the sentence “run concurrently as of October 10, 2019.”
This brings the total number of years the convict will spend in prison to four.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the sum of N97, $300,613.44, $139,575.50 and £10,121.52 linked to Mr. Illoh from the federal government of Nigeria, proceeds of illicit activities.
Charges
The EFCC had prosecuted Mr. Illoh on three counts of non-declaration of assets worth N97.3 million.
The anti-corruption agency also said Illoh oversaw various programs under the defunct Grant Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (SURE-P).
While the defendant was being questioned on Thursday, according to the EFCC statement, it was revealed that Mr. Illoh received funds to the tune of N65 million from the contractors of the SURE-P project, which was domiciled in his personal First Bank account. No: 3033750243.
The SURE-P initiative was a social empowerment program established by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in January 2012 following the uproar over the administration’s removal of the fuel subsidy.
The EFCC said the SURE-P supervisor allegedly awarded fictitious contracts to himself, using his personal company and friends.
He added that Mr. Illoh converted the money from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Security Agency (NIMASA).
Illoh allegedly committed the crimes in January 2015.
The commission said his offense is contrary to and punishable under section 27(3)(C) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004.”
The SURE-P program was dissolved in 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
prior conviction
A judge at the Ikeja Special Crimes Court, Lagos, Oluwatoyin Taiwo, had previously convicted and sentenced Mr. Iloh to five years in prison on October 3, 2019 for a fraud of N14.1 million.
The judge also ordered the convict to make restitution by paying the N3.5 million he withdrew in cash and the N3.5 million recovered by the EFCC during the investigation to the Federation Consolidated Revenue Fund.