A former Focal Person for the Benue State office of the National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP), Engr. Terhide Utaan, was on Wednesday arraigned in court on a 7-count charge bordering on diversion and misappropriation of public funds.
Utaan was dragged to court by the Benue State Government alongside one Nicolas Suakor for allegedly diverting N195 million meant for the Social Investment Programme in the state.
The offence for which the duo are alleged to have committed between November 23, 2016 and April 19, 2018 is punishable under sections 97, 316,310,290, and 365 of the state’s Penal Code Law.
Daily Trust reports that one of the charges alleged that the accused, “entrusted with dominion over deductions from Food Vendors in Benue State amounting to N113, 348, 436.18 meant for loan repayment and to be remitted into Benue State Government Account designated for that purpose, sometimes between 30/10/2017 and 27/03/2018 caused the said deductions to be diverted into SSIP Accounts No. 0067386995 & 0061392253 (with Sterling Bank), 5085940013 – FCMB and 4703063259 – Ecobank, to which you were co-signatories, from which accounts you withdrew the total sum of N94,380,900.00 for personal use, thereby committed an offence punishable under section 316 of the Penal Code Law of Benue State.”
But at the mention of the case today, Counsel to the state government, Douglas Pepe, told the State High Court 4, that the prosecution was finding it difficult to serve court processes on the second accused person, Nicholas Suakor, as he has not been seen in his office or at home.
However, the Counsel to the first accused, Innocent Daagba, urged the court to release his client on bail as he assured to assist the prosecution to serve court processes on the second accused person.
The trial judge, Justice Theresa Igoche, handed the first accused person, Utaan to his lawyer and asked the lawyer to produce him in court on Thursday (tomorrow).
