The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Abubakar Mohammed Aseku, an Assistant Superintendent with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), for allegedly receiving salaries from three different government agencies simultaneously.
Aseku was brought before Justice Binta Dogonyaro of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Apo, Abuja, on Tuesday, facing a nine-count charge related to abuse of office and corruption.
According to the ICPC, the defendant fraudulently collected N4.2 million in salaries from the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology in 2015 while working as a schoolteacher, even though he was already employed by the NIS. Additionally, between 2018 and 2019, he allegedly received N13.4 million in salaries from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) while still on the payroll of the Immigration Service.
Furthermore, Aseku, who served as a pay officer in the NIS, was accused of facilitating the illegal disbursement of N4.7 million in salaries to seven individuals who were neither employees of the NIS nor on its payroll.
One of the charges read:
“That you, Abubakar Mohammed Aseku, between October 2018 and October 2019, in Abuja, while serving as an Assistant Superintendent Immigration Officer, used your position to confer a corrupt advantage upon yourself by receiving a total sum of N13,400,889.90 in salaries from the Department of Petroleum Resources while concurrently employed by the Nigerian Immigration Service, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Aseku pleaded not guilty to all charges. His lawyer, Basil Hemba, informed the court that his client had previously been granted bail by another FCT High Court in Maitama and requested that the existing bail conditions be upheld.
Justice Dogonyaro agreed to maintain the earlier bail conditions. Meanwhile, ICPC’s counsel, Michael Adesola, requested an adjournment to allow the prosecution to present its witnesses.
The case has been adjourned to April 29, 2025, for further hearing.
