Former Chief of Naval Staff (CONS) during the last administration, Vice Admiral Usman O. Jibrin, was yesterday arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged N600million fraud. Jibrin was arraigned alongside Rear Admiral Bala Mshelia (rtd), Rear Admiral Shehu Ahmadu (rtd) and a firm, Habour Bay International Limited on a 4-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the antigraft agency, the accused persons while in office, bought a house worth N600million from the account of Naval Engineering Services without the said purchase contract being captured in the budget. Investigations by the EFCC showed that the documentation for transfer of ownership of the property was done such that a private company owned by the family of the first defendant (Vice Admiral Jubrin) became the buyer.
This, according to EFCC, is in contravention of Section 26 (1) (b) and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Act 2000. The accused all pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them. Their bail application will be heard today by the trial judge, Justice A. S. Umar.