From Noah Ebije, Kaduna and James Ojo, Abuja

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned one Abubakar Sani Chindo, for providing false information on former Vice President, Namadi Sambo.

The ICPC said the false information Chindo provided led to a raid, in concert with the Department of State Services (DSS), on Sambo’s residence in Kaduna State, on June 28, 2017.

After the raid, the commission was silent on whether anything incriminating was found or recovered from the former vice president’s house.

The ICPC, in a two-count charge, arraigned Chindo before a Kaduna State High Court and accused him of providing false information to the commission, which led to the raid.

A principal legal officer and counsel to the commission, Elijah Akaakohol, read out the charge before the presiding judge of Court  7, Justice Aliyu Tukur.

Akaakohol said the accused person, sometime on June 21, 2017 gave false information to an ICPC officer.

“…That sometime in 2013, you conveyed a huge sum of money, both in Nigerian and other foreign currencies, from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to a house in Ungwan Rimi GRA, in Kaduna, on the directive of a retired Army officer, which money you suspected to be ill-gotten wealth and still lying in boxes in that said house at the moment of your report…

“And of which you made the ICPC officer carry out a sting operation which turned out to be false.

“You, thereby,  committed an offence, contrary to, and punishable under section 64 (3) of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act 2000.”

The counsel told the court that Chindo also made a false statement to one Mr Olusegun Adigun, an official of the commission, in the course of the exercise of his duties as a public officer, contrary to section 25 (1) and punishable under section 25(1b) of the ICPC Act, 2000.

Chindo, who appeared without any legal counsel, however, pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

The presiding judge directed that the accused be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case till Thursday, November 2, 2017, for hearing.

Before the adjournment, Justice Tukur urged the accused person to get a counsel to stand for him at the next hearing of the case.

If convicted, Chindo faces a prison term of 10 years, or a fine not exceeding N100, 000, as provided for in section 64 (3) of the Act.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had, last May, arraigned two persons, Buhari Fannami and Aba-Kura Abdulahi for a similar offence under the whistle-blowing policy.

They were arraigned on a two separate one count charge before Justice M. T Salihu of the Federal High Court, Maiduguri, after misleading the EFCC with information about illegally acquired monies purportedly buried at the residence of one Ba’a Lawan, which turned out to be false, after execution of a search warrant on the premises.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, arraigned the duo of Buhari Fannami and Ba-Kura Abdullahi before a Federal High Court sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State, for allegedly giving false information to the agency under the whistle blowing policy. Fannami allegedly misled the EFCC with the information about illegally acquired money purportedly buried at the residence of one Ba’a Lawan, but the information turned out to be false after the execution of a search warrant.

On his part, Ba-Kura Abdullahi gave false information to the effect that large sum of money in naira and foreign currencies were buried in the residence of Ba’a Lawan. Justice M. T Salihu.