Recruitment tragedy: Court frees Abba Moro, jails ex- Perm Sec

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of a Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted a former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Interior, Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia.

The convict was prosecuted alongside Senator Abba Moro and others over the botched immigration recruitment in 2014 that led to the death of about 20 people.

Other defendants were a Deputy Director in the Ministry, F. O Alayebami; one Mahmood Ahmadu (at large), and the contracting firm given the recruitment job, Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd.

However, Justice Dimgba has deferred the sentencing of Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia to April 27.

The former Permanent Secretary was convicted on count four of the charge, which the court noted, carries a maximum jail term of five years without an option of a fine.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned Abba Moro, and others on an 11-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence, procurement fraud and money laundering.

They were ab initio arraigned before Justice Anwuli Chikere of a Federal High Court, Abuja, for their roles in the botched March 15, 2014 Immigration recruitment.