The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has arraigned Saadu Alanamu, former Chairman of the Governing Council of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, before a Kwara State High Court for allegedly receiving N5 million as bribe from a contractor.

Alanamu is one of the 14 persons nominated into the board of the ICPC on August 1 by Yemi Osinbajo, acting in the place of Muhammadu Buhari, who was in the UK on medical leave.

He and one other nominee, Maimuna Aliyu, were later dropped from that list after ICIR exclusive reported that they were already under investigation by the anti-corruption agency and would be charged to court soon.

Aliyu, a former Executive Director at Aso Savings and Loans Plc, has already been charged to court  on August 24 while Alanamu’s charges were first filed exactly one week later.

In the 8-count charge which was filed before Justice Mahmud Gafar, Alanamu was accused of collecting N5 million from Salman Sulaiman, Chief Executive Director of Namylas Nig. Ltd, as kickback for the award of a contract.

Sunny Ezeana, Counsel to the ICPC, told the court that Alanamu received the bribe money through his First Bank account on 11th February, 2015 from Namylas Nig. Ltd, a company owned by Sulaiman who is also his friend.

According to Ezeana, Alanamu ensured that the N182, 369, 625.00, contract for the construction and furnishing of an auditorium in Kwara State Polytechnic, was awarded to Sulaiman’s company, even though the company was not qualified to execute the contract.

The ICPC posits that “there is strong evidence of collusion, bid rigging and corrupt practices against Namylas Nig Ltd in the bid process; and that the company used falsified, forged and doctored PENCOM Compliance Certificate, Tax Clearance Certificate and ITF Certificate of Compliance to submit its bid during the bidding process.”

Sulaiman, Alanamu’s friend was also charged with bribing a government official in order to influence the award of contract to his company.

The offences run contrary to several sections of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same Act.

Both accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice Gafar granted them bail in the sum of N2 million with two sureties in like sum each, one of which must have a landed property in Ilorin.

He then adjourned the matter to October 12 for pre-trial hearing in line with Section 3 of the Kwara State High Court Practice Direction, 2013.