Pay officer diverts N103m meal subsidies of Federal Government Colleges, bags 127 years jail sentence
An Ogun State High Court has sentenced a Federal Pay Officer, Mr. Lawal Wilson Olusegun, to 127 years imprisonment for diverting N103 million meant for infrastructural development and meal subsidies of three federal government colleges.
Olusegun was charged before Hon. Justice Olatokunbo Majekodunmi, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a 24-count charge bordering on abuse of office and embezzlement of public funds.
The Commission, in the charge sheet accused the ex-pay officer of embezzling funds meant for feeding of students in Federal Science Technical College, Ijebu-Imushin, Federal Government Girl’s College, Sagamu and Federal Government College, Odogbolu.
He was accused of conferring corrupt advantage upon himself, “when he diverted subsidy monies through his company, SOG BEST CONCEPT NIGERIA LTD to his personal use without any authorization.”
He was also charged for fraudulent acquisition of property “when he knowingly registered a private Limited Liability Company, while still being in the employment of the Federal Government of Nigeria, with the sole aim of using same to do business with his employer (Federal Government of Nigeria), and in that character used the said company to divert subsidy monies for the schools to his personal use’’.
The court found him guilty on all the 24 counts and then sentenced him to five years in jail for counts one to twenty.
Justice Majekodunmi further sentenced Olusegun to seven years imprisonment on counts 21-23. All the sentences are without options of fine.
Before Olusegun’s arraignment in 2016, ICPC had recovered N56.1 million from him which was then handed over to the representatives of the three affected schools.
The trial judge, while handing down the sentences, said they would all run concurrently.
