Pension Scam: EFCC Operatives Allegedly Collect N70m from Mazangari To Kill Investigation

An officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Habibu Aliyu has been alleged of collecting N70M from the mother of Ahmed Mazangari, Hajia Fatima Mazangari.

Our Correspondent gathered that Hajia Fatima Mazangari was engaged as a consultant software engineer by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation in 2011 to document Management system designed for archiving Pensioners Files in Nigeria.

Ahmed and his mother, Hajia Fatima Mazangari alongside three others were arraigned before Justice Abubakar Talba of the FCT High Court, Gudu, Abuja in suit number: FCT/HC/CR/221/2015 by the EFCC in connection with a N1.2bn pension scam.

Hajia Mazangari was neither a public servant nor a pensioner but only got involved in the scandal when her son allegedly transferred some money into her account for personal use, which EFCC considered to be part of the Pension Funds.

Hajia Mazangari in a petition sent to the Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami and dated 14th January, 2020 by their Lawyer, Ibrahim Salawu Esq, a copy obtained by our Correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday, said Habibu Aliyu (former staff of EFCC), Ruqqaya Ibrahim, (currently a Staff of EFCC), Mohammed goje (Currently a Staff of EFCC) and one Mustafa Gadanya (former staff of EFCC) had on several occasions stormed her Family house in Kaduna, insisting that she, her son and his associates are neck deep in the Pension scam and as such would be dealt with and face prosecution.

Hajiya Mazangari was however told by Rouqayya Ibrahim and Mohammed Goje, that the situation could be better for them if she and her Family can part with some money (N200m), to be used to settle Management.

EFCC
“Our client wondered how or where she will be able to raised that kind of money, according to the Operatives, is this part of the (N1.2 Billion) alleged to have been embezzled as a result of the Biometric Exercise embarked upon by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation under Stephen Oronsaye in 2011. The Office through the Director of Pensions (Mrs Lawal) and (Late permanent Pensions, Secretary Charles Bonat) allegedly engaged her son (Ahmed) as an IT Consultant.”

“She was however assured by Ruqayya lbrahim who on her way out of thier Family house in Kaduna, during one of thier commando style raids, slipped a piece of paper with her (Rouqayya’s) telephone number and a figure of N31 Million scribbled on it, to Hajiya Mazangari, ostensibly being the first payment to be made available for sharing to the Operatives and EFCC Management”.

“Shocked and bewildered, our client now had to contend with the reality of either succumbing to this cheap but threatening blackmail or refuse and lace the wrath and vengeance of these duo.”

The Mazangaris failed to meet up with the first alleged financial demand until after they had consulted and made arrangements with a Family Friend who happens to be Habibu Aliyu’s blood elder brother (Adamu Aliyu),. After the consultation, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu pressurized Hajiya Mazangari to pay EFCC Operatives, the money, or risk jail. “They kept coming back for more and more money”

“May we also disclose that during arraignment of the matter, Habibu Aliyu’s elder brother cajoled Hajia Mazangari to “give them more money” so that the matter would die”, the petition reads.

“This Sir, Hajia Mazangari was wary of but the overbearing persuasion of Habibu Aliyu’s elder brother (her in-law), the public disgrace and the harrowing experience in detention pending perfection of bail, the constant harassement, and threats, made her succumb to the sinister proposal of Plea Bargain”

“Sir, Hajia Mazangari raised a Bank draft of N8 million in the name of EFCC Clients Account which was handed over to Habibu Aliyu.”

They said “Sir, we were taken aback when a short period later, Hajia Mazangarí’s Account Officer from the Bank, called to inform her that one of the EFCC Operatives hounding her, had approached the bank and requested that the Bank Draft
earlier issued by her, be cashed into another personal account”

“The bank turned down
the request on the basis that the Draft has to be re-issued in the name of the new person.”

“Our client’s bid to retrieve the old Bank Draft through her solicitor got Habibu Aliyu and Rouqayya Ibrahim furious and the hostility escalated.”

“It is as a result of this unending malice, torture and humiliation that we passionately plead to you sir, to save our client who has been run aground by people with personal vendetta disguising as public officers”, the petition reads.

In a related development, the counsel to Ahmed and Fatima Mazangari, Barrister Ibrahim Salawu, has appealed to the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice U.I Bello to reassign their case to another court.

Salawu in a letter addressed to the Chief Judge, FCT High Court, and dated 28th May, 2019, said the presiding judge in charge of their case had been elevated to the Court of Appeal, adding that court was not sitting as a regular court, hence the need for the case reassignment to another court.

However, all efforts to reach EFCC proved abortive as of the time of filling this report.