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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency (OYACA) has announced that some serving and retired civil servants in the state have been arrested for alleged fraudulent contract, awarded in 2018.
The agency’s Chairman, Justice Eni Esan (retd), disclosed this on Wednesday, adding that the fraud was perpetrated by the individuals at the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA).
She said the individuals concealed information about the contract awareness to three companies till the agency discovered it.
Esan, however, did not reveal the names of the companies or the identities of the arrested officials.
According to the chairman, the fraud involved the payment of N4.8 billion to three private companies without delivering the project, stressing that the agency is now after the said companies since a case has been established against them while the officers involved have been arrested.
“The Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency (OYACA) has nabbed some retired and serving top civil servants of Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA) for complicity in a fraudulent contract awarded in 2018.
“OYACA was able to discover this fraud despite concealment by the affected top officials to thwart the investigation exercise, the fraud involved the payment of humongous amount of money in the sum of N4.8 billion to three companies yet to show up for investigation in spite of our invitations.
“The agency is on the heels of the affected companies to recoup the money paid into their accounts in 2018 for supplies not made to date, while investigation is still ongoing, OYACA makes bold to say that the law is no respecter of persons and everyone who has any form of connection with the matter will be dealt with according to the law.
“We hereby reiterate our commitment to zero tolerance of corruption in the public service of Oyo State,”she said.