Current and former Oyo State civil servants have been detained, according to the state's anti-corruption agency, in connection with a N4.8 billion fraudulent contract from 2018.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the agency's chairman, Justice Eni Esan (retired), claimed that the fraud was allegedly carried out by employees at the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency and that information about it was withheld until the state's anti-corruption agency discovered it.
Esan clarified that the crime involved paying N4.8 billion to three private companies before the project was finished.
The agency is currently pursuing the firms after establishing the case and detaining the involved officials.
“The agency claimed it is after the said companies since the case has been established and the officers involved have been arrested for further investigation and prosecution by the State’s Attorney-General.
“The Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency has nabbed some retired and serving top civil servants of Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency for complicity in a fraudulent contract awarded in 2018.
“OYACA was able to discover this fraud despite concealment by the affected top officials to thwart the investigation exercise; the fraud involved the payment of a humongous amount of money in the sum of N4.8 billion to three companies yet to show up for investigation in spite of our invitations.
“The agency is on the heels of the affected companies to recoup the money paid into their accounts in 2018 for supplies not made to date, while an investigation is still ongoing, OYACA makes bold to say that the law is no respecter of persons and everyone who has any form of connection with the matter will be dealt with according to the law.
“We, hereby, reiterate our commitment to zero tolerance of corruption in the public service of Oyo State,” the statement affirmed.