The Truth About N36 Million Swallowed By Snake Revealed.
Philomina Chieshe, the official of the Joint
Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB),
who claimed that the board’s N36 million
was swallowed by a snake, has made a U-
turn.
Chieshe, who works as a clerk at the JAMB
office in Markurdi, Benue state, had told top
officials of the examination body that a
“mysterious snake” swallowed the money
derived from the sale of JAMB scratch cards.
But when she appeared before the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),
she confessed that the money was collected
by one Samuel Umoru, her superior.
According to The Nation, the EFCC has
interrogated Chieshe on several occasions
since she made the ridiculous statement in
February.
“The interesting aspect of the disclosure is
that Chieshe’s statement (on snake
swallowing the money) was obtained long
before the snake and naira swallowing
testimony became public knowledge,” an
EFCC official was quoted as saying.
“In all her statements before the EFCC, there
was no mention of any episode of any snake
and the disappearance of monies in her
care.”
“In a fact-sheet regarding the investigations,
Chieshe was quoted to have said her superior
— the coordinator at the Markurdi office —
had asked her to withdraw the N36 million.”
According to the newspaper, the fact-sheet
notes that “contrary to her claim before the
leadership of the examination body that the
N36 million proceeds from sale of scratch
cards were eaten up by a snake, Chieshe told
operatives of the anti-graft agency that the
money was collected piecemeal from her by
her coordinator, Mr. Samuel Sale Umoru.
“In one of the statements she volunteered to
the EFCC, Chieshe, who is a clerk in the
Makurdi office of JAMB, revealed that the
coordinator usually asked her to withdraw
proceeds of the sale of the scratch cards
from her account in two new generation
banks — ‘this money I withdrew, the
coordinator used it for the office and some
time for himself.”
It also quoted her as saying she had been
warning Umoru “that it was improper to use
the money for miscellaneous expenses in the
office or for private purposes but he would
not listen.”
The fact-sheet added that the coordinator did
not deny the allegations and had been
released on administrative bail.
It listed other JAMB officials being probed to
include Tanko Labaran, who could not
account for N23 million from sale of scratch
cards at the Nasarawa office, and Yakubu
Jakada who is yet to explain the whereabouts
of N20 million e-facilities cards sold in Kano
office.
The suspects are said to have been released
on bail pending the conclusion of
investigation.
Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB),
who claimed that the board’s N36 million
was swallowed by a snake, has made a U-
turn.
Chieshe, who works as a clerk at the JAMB
office in Markurdi, Benue state, had told top
officials of the examination body that a
“mysterious snake” swallowed the money
derived from the sale of JAMB scratch cards.
But when she appeared before the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),
she confessed that the money was collected
by one Samuel Umoru, her superior.
According to The Nation, the EFCC has
interrogated Chieshe on several occasions
since she made the ridiculous statement in
February.
“The interesting aspect of the disclosure is
that Chieshe’s statement (on snake
swallowing the money) was obtained long
before the snake and naira swallowing
testimony became public knowledge,” an
EFCC official was quoted as saying.
“In all her statements before the EFCC, there
was no mention of any episode of any snake
and the disappearance of monies in her
care.”
“In a fact-sheet regarding the investigations,
Chieshe was quoted to have said her superior
— the coordinator at the Markurdi office —
had asked her to withdraw the N36 million.”
According to the newspaper, the fact-sheet
notes that “contrary to her claim before the
leadership of the examination body that the
N36 million proceeds from sale of scratch
cards were eaten up by a snake, Chieshe told
operatives of the anti-graft agency that the
money was collected piecemeal from her by
her coordinator, Mr. Samuel Sale Umoru.
“In one of the statements she volunteered to
the EFCC, Chieshe, who is a clerk in the
Makurdi office of JAMB, revealed that the
coordinator usually asked her to withdraw
proceeds of the sale of the scratch cards
from her account in two new generation
banks — ‘this money I withdrew, the
coordinator used it for the office and some
time for himself.”
It also quoted her as saying she had been
warning Umoru “that it was improper to use
the money for miscellaneous expenses in the
office or for private purposes but he would
not listen.”
The fact-sheet added that the coordinator did
not deny the allegations and had been
released on administrative bail.
It listed other JAMB officials being probed to
include Tanko Labaran, who could not
account for N23 million from sale of scratch
cards at the Nasarawa office, and Yakubu
Jakada who is yet to explain the whereabouts
of N20 million e-facilities cards sold in Kano
office.
The suspects are said to have been released
on bail pending the conclusion of
investigation.
Comments