Posted by By Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja on
Suspended Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission, Ambassador Sam Edem, was on Monday charged to court for allegedly stealing N800m, belonging to the Federal Government.
Suspended Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission, Ambassador Sam Edem, was on Monday charged to court for allegedly stealing N800m, belonging to the Federal Government.
Edem, who was arrested by the police on August 7, was arraigned before an Abuja High Court Zone 5, Wuse presided over by Justice O.O Goodluck.
According to a statement by the Force Pubic Relations Officer, Mr. Agberebi Akpoebi, the police claimed that the case was still under investigation, as two of the suspects were yet to be arrested.
Akpoebi, an assistant commissioner of police, said that Edem was charged to court in line with the provisions of the law.
Akpoebi also said that police investigators were closing in on the other two suspects whose names he listed as Dr. Perekambowe Ogah, alias Matthew Sonoma, and Kakas Amgbari, who he said were at large.
He said that as soon as the suspects are arrested, they would join Edem to account for their actions.
The police, however, did not list the charges against Edem. It was also not clear if he had been granted bail or not.
Edem was apprehended by the Police on Friday, August 8 for alleged conspiracy to murder the Managing Director of the commission, Mr. Timi Alaibe, and also to 'spiritually influence' Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan and the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswil Akpabio, to take some decisions in his favour.
Akpoebi, in the statement, had also said that Edem was arrested on allegations of paying N510m out of the N800m 'contract sum' to a sorcerer, Oga.
The Police had said that the payment of the money to the herbalist was to make the vice-president protect him in the event that he was removed as the chairman of the naira commission.
The police explained that Edem's arrest followed a squabble between him and the sorcerer, who Edem was said to have accused of reneging on his part of the agreement.