By Deborah Onyofufeke
Justice Zaynab Abubakar in a Federal High Court sitting Abuja, on Wednesday, has ordered the seizure of a private university (NOK University) in Kaduna, Gwasmyen Water Factory; Gwasmyen Event Centre and Gwasmyen International Hotel, all linked to a former Federal Director of Accounts (FDA) in the Ministry of Health, Anthony Hassan

Hassan was the FDA, of the Ministry of Health from 2016 to 2019

The court ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to seize the assets on the grounds that they were allegedly acquired unlawfully by the former Director

Physical structures in the university which includes the Senate building, the ICT building, Faculty of Medicine building, Deanery building, two academic buildings, faculty hall and all other buildings owned by Hassan in Kachia, Kaduna State are to be sized

Justice Zaynab further ordered the EFCC to publish the seizure order in national newspaper within 14 days for interested parties to appear and show cause why the affected properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

The EFCC from their findings stated that
“The defendant, Anthony Hassan, is the owner of the NOK University Ltd, Kachia, Kuduna State.

“The university was incorporated on 6th October, 2021 with the wife and children of the respondent as the directors and guarantors of the university but without the respondent’s name.

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“This is revealed from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) response to the inquiry by the EFCC.

“The defendant promoted the formation of the university through Sherah Education Resources Ltd, a company incorporated by him,” the EFCC said.

It further claimed that Hassan maintained some bank accounts in the names of companies like Kyus Enterprises Ltd, Kyus Hotels Ltd and Kyus Oil & Gas Ltd, into which public funds were equally diverted.

“These funds for the establishment and building of the facilities/building of the NOK University, Gwasmyen International Hotel Ltd, and Gwasmyen Bottle Water and Juice Company Ltd was not from the known and lawful earning of the respondent, but from monies he diverted from the Ministry of Health through the platform of Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).

“GIFMIS was designed by the Federal Government of Nigeria as a way of actualising an integrated and automated information systems and to promote modernized fiscal processes.

“It is an IT based system that was designed for accounting and budget management implemented by the government.

“Being the Director of Finance and Accounts, the respondent was the final approving authority for all payments made on the GIFMIS and Remita Platforms of the Federal Ministry of Health.

“The defendant , as the DFA in the Federal Ministry of Health, appointed Projects Accountants to handle specific projects and this entails payments being made into their personal accounts from the GIFMIS platform for disbursement to the beneficiaries towards the execution of the projects.

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“While acting as the DFA in the Federal Ministry of Health, the respondent diverted public funds using some of the staff of the Finance and Account Department, who include Data Nanbam, Musa A. Musa, Yar’dua Maikudi, Abubakar Sadiq Bulama, Alhassan Yahaya and Yusuf Barde Ajiji.

“Between 2016 and 2019, the above staff of the Ministry of Health referred to in paragraph 4 (xxviii), who received funds into their bank accounts as Project Accountants for the execution of various projects through the GIFMIS platform, handed over the sum of N1,309,508,877 to the respondent for the latter’s personal use.

“The defendant received these diverted public funds either in cash or through bank transfers or indirectly through third parties.

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“Whilst being a civil servant, the defendant also incorporated and personally operated other companies named Kyus Enterprises Ltd, Kyus Hotels Ltd and Kyus Oil & Gas Ltd.”

The EFCC also disclosed that Anthony Hassan, who was a civil servant, in the course of his career, was posted to the Federal Ministry of Health from 2001 to 2008; the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs from 2009 to 2015; the Ministry of Niger Delta in 2015; the Ministry of Youth and Sport Development from 2015 to 2016; the Ministry of Health from 2016 to 2019, and the Ministry of Works and Housing from 2019 to 2020.

Justice Abubakar adjourned the matter till October 5, 2022, for further mention