A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja, has ordered the remand of a former Deputy Director of Highways at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Augustine Ojo Olowoniyan, and a surveyor, Sulaiman Abdulkadir Muhammed, over an alleged N1.93 billion fraud.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie gave the ruling on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, following their arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a three-count charge bordering on the alleged diversion and misappropriation of public funds.
The alleged offence contravenes Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Allegations of Misappropriation
According to the EFCC, the funds were earmarked for the acquisition of titles for federal roads across the country between March 4, 2019, and July 17, 2020, but were allegedly diverted for personal use by the defendants.
One of the charges reads:
“That you, Augustine Ojo Olowoniyan, while serving as Deputy Director Highways, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, and Project Coordinator for the acquisition of titles for Federal Roads, and you, Sulaiman Abdulkadir Muhammed, while serving as Surveyor in the Department of Highways and Planning, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, between March 4, 2019, and October 21, 2019, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, used your office to confer corrupt advantage upon yourselves by converting the sum of N807 million — funds budgeted for the acquisition of titles for federal roads — to your personal use, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Court Ruling and Bail Application
Following their plea, the prosecuting counsel, Abba Muhammed (SAN), requested a trial date and asked the court to remand the defendants in the Correctional Centre.
However, counsel for the first and second defendants, J.K. Kolawole and A.S.U. Garba, applied for a short adjournment to file bail applications and requested that their clients be held in EFCC custody pending the hearing.
Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the case until April 3, 2025, for the hearing of the bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre.
Additional Charges Against Olowoniyan
In a separate case, the EFCC also arraigned Olowoniyan before the same court on a separate three-count charge related to the alleged diversion of N439 million in public funds.
According to the EFCC, Olowoniyan, while serving as Deputy Director of Highways and Project Coordinator for the acquisition of titles for federal roads, misappropriated the funds between March 27, 2019, and December 17, 2019.
One of the charges reads:
“That you, Augustine Ojo Olowoniyan, whilst serving as Deputy Director Highways, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, and Project Coordinator for the acquisition of titles for Federal Roads, and in such capacity entrusted with public funds, between March 27, 2019, and December 17, 2019, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, transferred the cumulative sum of about N301 million to Chile Ushahemba (a staff of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing) and received in cash the sum of N19 million, which you converted to your own use, thereby committing a criminal breach of trust contrary to and punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Law.”
Olowoniyan pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter to April 3, 2025, for the hearing of the bail applied.
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