A civil group under the aegis of Global Integrity Crusade Network, GICN, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, seeking the arrest, interrogation and prosecution of the Special Adviser to Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dennis Akura and others over alleged N20 billion fraud.

The group, made up of lawyers, private investigators, human rights activists, media professionals and policy analysts, explained that the whooping amount of money was part of the aggregate Federal Account Allocation Committee, (FAAC) funds which accrued to the 23 local government councils in the state between June and November 2023.

The petition which was written on Tuesday, 20th February, 2024, was received and acknowledged on Tuesday at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency in Abuja.

GCIN, in the petition, copied President Bola Tinubu, the Director-General, Department of State Services, DSS and the Media, said the LG Bureau under Governor Alia has been using some of its staff and privately-owned companies to allegedly syphon the funds meant for local governments in the state.

It further said it had been inundated with complaints and documents from whistleblowers showing that the office of the Special Adviser to Governor Alia on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has become a conduit pipe for high-level corrupt practices, massive fraud and other sundry offences which prompted its petition to the anti-graft commission.

“From the records attached as Appendix 2A and 2B, the aggregate FAAC allocation received in the State Joint Local Government Account (SJLGA), maintained under Section 162(6) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) for onward disbursement to the 23 Local Government Councils within the period under review totals N55, 897,592,592.81 only.

“Out of the above sum, only N35,849,988,725.37 was disbursed to the 23 local government councils. This left a balance of N20,051,603,867.44, which remains undisbursed even though the SJLGA is supposed to be a transit account and not a savings account.

“It happened that Dr. Dennis Akura under the strict directives of Governor Alia, allegedly diverted the aforesaid N35,849,988,725.37 using staff of the Bureau as well as some companies they have registered mainly for that purpose,” the group stated.

It urged the EFCC to ensure that Akura and the others fingered in the petition are brought to justice.

“The EFCC should not allow any of the persons mentioned in this petition to benefit from their wrongdoing if fiscal accountability and transparency must be restored in Benue State. We have absolute belief that the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR has zero tolerance for any form of corruption capable of inflicting hardship on the masses and sabotaging the economy of Nigeria as a whole,” it stressed.

In the 17-paragraph petition, the group also attached document evidence of how funds were transferred from various Local Government Council accounts to the account of individual staff of the Bureau and companies, which the lawyers investigated and annexed the full details of owners of each company, with documents from the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC.

GCIN urged the anti-corruption commission to ensure that if found culpable, the Benue State officials are made to refund the loot, to serve as a deterrent to others.

“We hereby pray, under our statutory obligations to expose corrupt practices under Section 24(d) and (e) of the 1999 Constitution (supra) and the Whistle Blowing Policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria, 2016, that you urgently arrest, interrogate and prosecute the Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Iornem Alia on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr. Dennis Akura together with all his cronies for the serious offences they have committed”, the petition read in part.

Reacting to the allegation, Denis Akura, Special Adviser to the Governor of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, described the allegation as baseless.

He said, “We read in a section of the media with utter dismay, venal and mischievous allegations of missing ₦20bn in the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, in Benue State.

“In the news story, “Global Integrity Crusade Network”(GICN) claim that their mandate is to checkmate corruption and avail recommendations to Anti-corruption Agencies and the public domain for investigation, tried unsuccessfully to mislead the unsuspecting members of the public with glorious fallacy.

“For the records, His Excellency Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, a very disciplined leader whose standpoint is prudent management of resources did not direct the Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr Denis Akura, to monitor the diversion of over 20billion federal allocation aggregated to the local governments.

“Again, as of June 2023 – 2nd October 2023 Dr. Denis Akura was not at the helm of affairs at the Bureau. Therefore, making references to him within the period only exposes GICN’s main intention for the petition.

“Furthermore, it is on record that on the assumption of duty at the Bureau, Dr Akura made it clear to all staff at the Bureau that he was directed by his boss to strictly adhere to the ‘workable administrative framework designed to restructure, revamp cum return the lost glory at the local government administration in Benue State.

“It is unfortunate that GICN completely exposed itself once more of the mischievous or stark ignorance or both on the running and management of the Bureau. In Benue State, the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs no longer controls the federal allocation or any funds of the local government areas. A quasi-financial autonomy has been granted to the local governments where the aggregated federal allocation of the local government goes directly to every local government area’s Accounts.

“The Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as mandated by Governor Alia, only supervises, monitors and coordinates the affairs of the 23 local government areas through her Directorate of Monitoring and Inspection.”