Court Frees Ex-Minister, Abba Moro, Convicts Ex-Perm Secretary Over 2014 Immigration Recruitment Tragedy

A Federal High Court in Abuja has acquitted former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, over the botched immigration recruitment in 2014 that led to the death of about 20 people.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had in 2016 arraigned Abba Moro and three other persons on an 11-count charge bordering on allegations of obtaining money by pretext, procurement fraud and money laundering and two others by the anti-graft agency.

Other defendants were former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia; an ex-director in the ministry, Felix Alayebami and a firm, Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd, which was acquitted and discharged in 2021.
They were accused of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering in the recruitment exercise which ended in tragedy with over 20 deaths caused by a stampede in some states.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba in his ruling dismissed the allegation of abuse of office against Moro over inadequate arrangement and safeguards for the exercise after 667,000 applicants paid N1,000 each.
He said the NIS CG testified that there was inadequate funding for the exercise, while also failing to directly take charge of the exercise.
“I believe some flak must be reserved for the PW1 (David Paradang), who was the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service,” he said.
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.