Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Anambra State Government has arrested eight suspects for allegedly extorting over eight hundred thousand naira from women in Awka.
The arrest was part of the State Government’s effort to eradicate crime and corruption in the state.
The exercise came following the directive by Governor Chukwuma Soludo against a Non-Governmental Organisation using the government’s name to extort the sum of twenty thousand naira and above from unsuspecting individuals mostly women in Awka.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, stormed the office complex of the Host Communities of Nigeria Anambra State Chapter, located opposite Government House Awka, where she discovered that the suspects were operating with a commercial bank staff in opening a current account for the women who must pay the sum of N10,000 in cash and purchase the association’s form with another N10,00 making of N20,000 for an individual.
It was also discovered that the suspects had earlier recruited local government co-ordinators in all the twenty-one local government areas of the state who they placed in charge of the registration while the bank’s staff were in charge of opening accounts at the office complex.
While questioning the leader of the association, Mrs Joy Igboka, on why she is extorting innocent people of their hard-earned money, the suspect claimed she was carrying out the directive of the suspended Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Beta Edu, before later stating that it was the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant that gave her the go-ahead to execute the project. At the same time, she said that it was the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Industry that directed her to carry out the task.
When asked if the Commissioner for Petroleum Resources is aware of the operation, Mrs Igboka stated that she cannot inform the Commissioner because it is not his business.
While the questioning was ongoing, the Ministry’s staff were able to recover the sum of one hundred and forty-six thousand five hundred naira being the money made from registration; some forms which had been filled and others yet to be filled; and a smart phone which was handed over to the police.
Some of the women who spoke to newsmen, including Maryann Obikwe from Ọgbaru and Nneka from Oyi said that they borrowed the money they used for the registration and account opening claiming that they were told that the process is to help secure National feeding programme jobs for them in schools while some others who spoke on condition of anonymity claimed that the suspect and her team assured them of oil money and school feeding jobs as well.
As at the time of this report, eight suspects including the bankers met opening accounts for people at the said office complex and the items recovered have been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department Awka for further investigation while the suspects will be charged to court.
