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By Fatima Mukhtar
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the former Chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over an alleged ₦1 billion fraud. Olejeme was brought before Justice Emeka Nwite on eight counts bordering on money laundering, abuse of office, and diversion of public funds while serving as the NSITF board chairman.
According to the EFCC, Olejeme allegedly converted, transferred, and took possession of proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to ₦1 billion between 2012 and 2015. The prosecution also accused her of diverting ₦321.6 million and $2 million into the account of Adin Miles International Limited, a company allegedly linked to her.
When the charges were read, the former NSITF chair pleaded not guilty to all counts. The EFCC counsel thereafter asked the court to fix a date for trial, stating that the prosecution was ready to call 14 witnesses to prove its case. Olejeme’s counsel applied for her bail, urging the court to grant her temporary freedom pending trial. Justice Nwite allowed her to remain in the custody of her lawyer while adjourning the case to November 17, 2025, for hearing on the bail application.
Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, a prominent politician and philanthropist, was appointed Chairman of the NSITF in 2009 by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and later served as a member of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) Board under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. Her tenure at the NSITF came under scrutiny following allegations of massive financial mismanagement and diversion of funds meant for the agency’s social insurance programmes.
The EFCC began investigating her in 2017, leading to the recovery of several properties and the freezing of bank accounts allegedly linked to the fraud. Olejeme has consistently denied all allegations, describing them as politically motivated. The trial is expected to continue later in the year as the EFCC intensifies its efforts to ensure accountability and transparency in public service.
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