Ex-HOS Oyo-Ita granted N100m bail after being arraigned for N3bn fraud by EFCC

The immediate past Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita has been granted bail in the sum of N100 million, after being arraigned before a federal high court in Abuja on 18-count charge of N3 billion graft by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Oyo-Ita who was accused of fraud in relation to DTA, estacodes, conference fees and receiving kickbacks on contracts, pleaded not guilty to the charges in court today March 23.

She was arraigned alongside her special assistant, Ubong Effiok; Frontline Ace Global Services Limited; Asanaya Projects Ltd; Garba Umar and his companies, Slopes International Ltd and Gooddeal Investments Ltd, U & U Global Services Ltd belonging to Mr Effiok, and Prince Mega Logistics Ltd.

Count one of the charge reads;

“That you Winifred Oyo-Ita (whilst serving as a Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Power) and Frontline Ace Global Services Limited (a company incorporated in Nigeria and of which Winifred Oyo-Ita is the sole signatory of its bank accounts at Zenith Bank) sometime in April, 2010 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court collaborated in disguising the genuine Ownership of an aggregate sum of N20,000,000.00 (Twenty Million Naira only) paid by the Federal Ministry of Power into the Zenith Bank account of Frontline Ace Global Services Limited No: 1011518656 which sum was derived directly from an illegal act, to wit: corruption and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 14(1)(6) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004.”

Justice Taiwo Taiwo granted the former Head of Service bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties in like sum.

Oyo-Ita was arrested last August and released on administrative bail after spending four days in EFCC custody. She was sacked in September 2019 after about N600 million was allegedly found in the bank account of her aide.