Police arrest Bauchi Pension Board Staff for Pension Fraud
Bauchi State Police Command on Saturday arrested three (3) staff members of the Bauchi State Local Government Pension Board for their involvement in a pension fraud in the state estimated at about N21 million.
This was disclosed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mohammad Wakili, in a press statement signed on behalf of the state Commissioner of Police. The PPRO said the arrest of the suspects was initiated by a complaint received from the office of the state governor, Senator Bala Mohammed.
The suspects, Mohammed B. Mohammed, an auditor; Musa Bappayo, a computer operator and Samaila Musa, according to the police spokesman, upon interrogations confessed to having fraudulently inserted about seven (7) illegal names into the pension records.
He said, on the 12th of September 2020 at about 1300hrs, we received a letter of complaint from the office of Executive Governor of Bauchi State signed by Musa Mohammed Kirfi, PhD. PPS to the Governor, against the following suspects, Mohammed B. Mohammed Auditor of the board, Musa Bappayo computer operator of the board and Samaila Musa.
Subsequently all the staff of the Local Government Pension Board were received through the office of the commissioner of police for discrete investigation. When interrogated, the three (3) suspects confessed to have inserted about seven (7) illegal beneficiaries’ names into the pensions records fraudulently.
The PPRO stated that Samaila Musa (38), inserted the names of Mohammed Namamu, also known as Muhamadun Faiza and Abubakar Muazu, even though the two beneficiaries are not civil servants in the state, adding that they receive N65,000 and N85,000 per month, respectively, for the period of 18 months, which amounted to N2,700,000.
Yasir Sulaiman 37 yrs of Bayan airport has two candidates, whom he received N320,000 per month for the period of 23 months which amounted N7,360,000.
Garba Bala aged 39 yrs of Tirwun Bauchi who introduced two candidates and received N300,000 per month for 36 months which amounted to N10,800,000.
Umar Mohammed Madara aged 49yrs of Ibrahim Bako, Bauchi, has one candidate, who received N120,000 per month for the period of 6 month which amounted N720,000.
The PPRO concluded that all suspects have been arrested and an investigation is in progress, adding that effort is on top gear to arrest the other fleeing suspects.