JAMB Staff Confesses, My Boss, Not Snake, ‘Swallowed’ N36m

There’s a new twist to the story of a mystery snake that “swallowed” N36 million from the JAMB office in Markurdi, Benue State, as the official at the centre of the controversy has made a u-turn.

Ms Philomina Chieshe, while being grilled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), confessed that it was her superior, and not any “mysterious snake”, that collected the N36 million JAMB scratch cards money from her.

Advertisement

Chieshe, as reported by The Nation, identified the superior who collected the money as one Samuel Umoru, the coordinator at the Markurdi JAMB office.

The JAMB official was reported to have made the confession after being gilled on several occasions by the EFCC.

“The interesting aspect of the disclosure is that Chieshe’s statement (on snake swallowing the money) was obtained long before the snake and naira swallowing testimony became public knowledge,” the newspaper quoted an EFCC official as saying.

“In all her statements before the EFCC, there was no mention of any episode of any snake and the disappearance of monies in her care.

Advertisement

“In a fact-sheet regarding the investigations, Chieshe was quoted to have said her superior — the coordinator at the Markurdi office — had asked her to withdraw the N36 million.

The report by The Nation states that “contrary to her claim before the leadership of the examination body that the N36 million proceeds from sale of scratch cards were eaten up by a snake, Chieshe told operatives of the anti-graft agency that the money was collected piecemeal from her by her coordinator, Mr. Samuel Sale Umoru.

“In one of the statements she volunteered to the EFCC, Chieshe, who is a clerk in the Makurdi office of JAMB, revealed that the coordinator usually asked her to withdraw proceeds of the sale of the scratch cards from her account in two new generation banks — ‘this money I withdrew, the coordinator used it for the office and some time for himself.”

Chieshe was said to have warned Umoru “that it was improper to use the money for miscellaneous expenses in the office or for private purposes but he would not listen.”

Leave a comment

Advertisement