Senior Director of FIRS Caught Red-Handed in N25m Fraud

The EFCC has arrested Abumere Joseph Osagie, who is the deputy director, regional tax office, of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), in a case of flagrant abuse of office and bribery.

The suspect was picked up following a complaint about his attempt to extort a University proprietor of N5m. Mr Osagie and a lady, Jamila Ojora had on January 27, 2016 allegedly approached Senator Ahmed Datti, the Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja and gave him a tax assessment of N20,029, 496.00 through a letter of intent, which he paid.

However when he requested for the assessment certificate, they refused to oblige him. Instead they demanded for for N5million gratification. All pleas by him fell on deaf ears. Consequently, he petitioned the EFCC, and the EFCC advised to play along...

To ensure they were caught in the act, marked N5million was delivered to the director through Jamila Ojora in a sting operation. Ojora was arrested after she collected the N5m. Confession led to the arrest of Osagie.

The houses of the suspects were searched by operatives of the EFCC, and documents recovered.

EFCC said investigation into the matter would be concluded and both of them charged to court.