Fraud: 5 jailed over diversion of VSF N9.1m in Yola

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Five staff of the Centre for Health and Development in Africa (CHEDA) in Yola has been convicted for 7 years each for diversion of foster care intervention funds amounting to N9.1 million.

Delivering judgement in the Upper Area Court 3 sitting in Yola, trial judge  Adamu Abbas convicted and sentenced the five Staff of CHEDA to 7 years each without an option of fine to correctional custody on the 19th of May 2022.

Trouble started for the five staff in 2016 when their Centre for Health and Development in Africa (CHEDA) received a grant of N2, 032,500.00 from the Victims Support Fund (VSF). 

This sum was for the implementation of the VSF Foster Care Project to facilitate Protection and Shelter for 150 orphaned children in 75 households in Gombi LGA of Adamawa State.

The amount of N1, 016,250.00 only was transferred to the organization in two tranches to cover administrative and operational cost. 

In addition, VSF transferred a sum of N2,100,000  to same organization on a Monthly basis for  10 Months (February 2017 to November 2017); being project cost meant for disbursement to 75 beneficiary households at N28, 000 each, per month. 

Each household had 2 Foster Children, and each child is entitled to N 14, 000.00 per Month to be used for the support of all children in the households. 

In addition, VSF transferred the sum of N50, 000.00 to the same organization monthly for their administrative usage.

This was also done for a period of 10 Months (February 2017 to November 2017), being the Monthly stipends for disbursement to 5 social workers at N10, 000 per Month.

The report of incomplete payment and nonpayment to the beneficiaries and social workers for certain number of Months however reached VSF in November 2017.

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The allegations were further investigated by VSF team and confirmed by the beneficiaries and the key stakeholders to the project in the Gombi communities of Adamawa state before a final report.

The investigation further revealed that Gidado Yolde the Executive Director, through staff members like Mahmud Bello and Aisha Umul made full payment for 4 Months (February, March, July and November 2017), half payment for 3 Months (April, May and June 2017) and Non-payment for 3 Months (August, September and October 2017). 

The Finance Officer of CHEDA name withheld was also mentioned as being responsible for monetary activities of the organization but was conspicuously absent on the day VSF team visited the organization.

It was therefore discovered that a total amount of N9, 100, 000 has been diverted by the organization through the above mentioned persons. 

The 5 non state workers were accused of being complicit in the above stated case, namely Muhammed Yolde, Mahmud Bello, Atiku Hayatu, Aisha Siddiki, Ummul Aliyu and were sentenced to 7 years in correctional custody.

The convicts were yet to appeal the judgement as at the time of writing this report. 

Fraud: 5 jailed over diversion of VSF N9.1m in Yola