The Director-General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Dr. Modibbo Kawu, and other officials of the agency were being investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged financial irregularities involving about N2.5 billion.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, on Thursday, November 15, 2018.
According to the anti-corruption agency, the funds under investigation were connected to a N10 billion grant released by the Federal Government in 2016 for the Digital Switch-Over (DSO) programme.
The ICPC alleged that Kawu was involved in irregularities surrounding the award and execution of contracts connected with the programme.
The commission said the Presidency had released the N10 billion to the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture for the DSO programme, which was aimed at facilitating Nigeria’s transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.
According to the ICPC, a White Paper on the programme directed that the process should be handled by government-affiliated companies.
The commission said two companies were subsequently nominated to participate in the programme, including ITS, an affiliate of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), which received N1.7 billion as a seed grant to commence the switch-over process.
However, the ICPC said its investigation uncovered what it described as alleged corrupt practices in the handling of the funds.
The commission alleged that money intended for the programme was paid into the Zenith Bank account of Pinnacle Communications Limited in May and June 2017.
It further stated that Kawu, during interactions with investigators, could not satisfactorily explain why the directive contained in the White Paper was allegedly not followed, resulting in funds being released to Pinnacle Communications Limited.
According to the ICPC, the Managing Director of Pinnacle Communications Limited, Dipo Onifade, confirmed during questioning that the funds were paid into the company’s account but could not adequately account for their use in connection with the DSO programme.
The commission also said its investigation identified several transfers from the company’s account to various individuals and organisations which it considered suspicious.
Among the transactions highlighted by the ICPC was an alleged N100 million payment into Onifade’s personal Zenith Bank account. The commission said Onifade told investigators that the money was for legal services.
Another N450 million, according to the ICPC, was transferred to the account of Sabdat Investment Limited, a Bureau de Change company.
The commission alleged that the money was converted into dollars and subsequently handed over to Lucky Omoluwa, chairman of Pinnacle Communications Limited.
The ICPC further alleged that Pinnacle Communications Limited had been recommended to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, by Kawu in circumstances the commission was investigating.
Omoluwa had initially declined invitations from the ICPC to answer questions over the matter and approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order to stop the investigation and unfreeze the company’s Zenith Bank account, which had been frozen by the commission.
The court, however, directed him to appear before the ICPC for questioning before the next adjourned date of December 3, 2018.
The ICPC subsequently confirmed that Omoluwa had appeared before the commission and provided statements to investigators.
The investigation was ongoing at the time, and the allegations had not been established as convictions by a court.
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