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The executive
secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Ahmed
Modibo, has alleged that evidences abound on how officials of the
commission defrauded it.

Testifying at a
Federal High Court in Abuja, in the suit instituted by the EFCC against
four officials of the commission and three others, Mr. Modibo alleged
that they defrauded it to the tune of N787 million.

He said the accused used fake companies and forged newspaper publications to commit the act.

Mr. Modibbo said
that four of the six companies involved in bidding for the supply of
plastic chairs and desks to junior secondary schools in the country in
phase one of the project were fake.

He submitted that
the former executive secretary of the commission, Bridget Sokan,
directed him to write a memo to the Education Trust Fund (ETF) for the
release of the funds.

Mr. Modibo said he noticed foul play when the ETF replied that the phase one of the project was not properly executed.

He said that a
Unity Bank branch and an oil service company were located in a building
which two of the companies involved in the bidding claimed as their
address in Port Harcourt.

He added that Mrs.
Sokan’s price and contract evaluation committee awarded the contract of
N787 million, out of which N636 million was paid as mobilisation fee to
Intermarket Nig. Ltd.

The News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mrs. Sokan and six others are facing a
63-count charge, bordering on fraudulent inducement, criminal
conspiracy, and criminal subversion of due processes in the award of
contracts.

Other persons
standing trial in the case are: Molkat Mutfwang, Michae Aule, and
Andrew Ekpunobi, while Intermarkets USA, Intermarkets Nig. Limited, and
Alexander John Cozman are the companies allegedly used to perpetrate
the fraud.

Justice Adamu Bello adjourned the case to February 14 and February 21, 2011 for continuation of cross examination.