The Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency (OYACA) has reported that some active and retired state employees had been detained for a bogus contract that had been issued in 2018.
The scam was allegedly committed by employees at the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA), and knowledge about it was kept secret until the State’s anti-graft agency uncovered it, according to a statement signed by the agency’s chairman, Justice Eni Esan (retired).
According to the statement, the act involved paying a total of $4.8 billion to three private companies without actually completing the project. Since the case was established and the officers involved were arrested, the agency is now pursuing the said companies.
Since the case has been formed and the officers involved have been taken into custody for additional investigation and prosecution by the State’s Attorney-General, the agency asserted that it is seeking the aforementioned companies.
“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 #4.8billion 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,” it affirmed.
