ON THE RUN: RICHARD MOFE DAMIJO (RMD) EMBEZZLES 50MILLION, HIDES FROM EFCC

RMD is reported to have played a role in a financial scheme which made
N50M to disappear. Mr. Mofe Damijo issued a check to the tourism board
in the name of its acting GM, Ms. Ajufo. She in turn reportedly
deposited the sum into her First Bank private account operated under
her name, Nkem Philo Ajufo. well, according to claims, she and Mr.
Mofe Damijo subsequently shared the money.


RMD went underground on learning about the current development. Read
the full story when you continue....
Philo Nkem Ajufo, the acting General Manager of Delta State Tourism
Board, has been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) in Abuja over her role in a financial scheme. Ms.
Ajufo is reportedly being quizzed for conniving with her boss, Richard
Mofe Damijo (RMD), to embezzle N50 million from the state Ministry of
Culture and Tourism. Mr. Mofe Damijo, a well known Nollywood star, is
the commissioner in charge of the ministry. Our EFCC said the
commissioner was also being sought by the anti-corruption agency, but
hehas been elusive.
An EFCC source confirmed Ms. Ajufo's arrest. "As we talk, the Delta
State Tourism GM, one Mrs. Nkem Ajufo, is been held in our
headquarters here in Abuja over her involvement in the N50 million
fraud.


Her boss, Mr. Richard Mofe Damijo, is not left out but as we speak he
is still avoiding us," said the source.


Two sources at the ministry told our reporter that the EFCC last week
delivered a letter inviting Ms. Ajufo to appear at their headquarters.
She was reportedly asked to bring along relevant documents concerning
the N50 million that was meant for the purported 2007 Delta Expo event
which never held.


The sources disclosed that Mr. Mofe Damijo went underground on
learning about the current development.
One source told our reporter that the commissioner, who is reported to
be building himself a massive underground edifice in Lagos, was trying
to use political contacts in Delta and Abuja to scuttle the EFCC's
investigation and washed his hands off the scam.


SaharaReporters learnt that Mr. Mofe Damijo denied knowledge of the
money during the budget defense exercise.
Several calls and sms texts sent to Mr. Damijoand Ms. Ajufo's mobile
lines were not answered. After a while, the commissioner switched off
his mobile phone.


Late last year, Saharareporters had broken the news of the N50 million
allegedly embezzled by the commissioner and the acting GM of the
state's tourism board.
Several sources in the commissioner's office had confided that a
former commissioner in the Ministry had applied for the N50 million to
organize the "Delta State Expo 2007," disclosing that the state could
not release the funds then due to some financial challenges.


However, when the funds were released into the Tourism account in May,
2012, Mr. Mofe Damijo allegedly said that the ministry could no longer
carry out the event since it had elapsed by six years and Deltans
would have forgotten about the event.


But our reporter obtained "Forms of Advance Warrant" on release of
funds from the Ministry of Finance indicating that the N50 million was
supposed to be spent on the original event for which it was
approved.The warrant order, numbered 00000117, 00000114 and 00000115,
was signed by one Ms. P.O. Evuojapha for the Commissionerof Finance.


SaharaReporters learnt that N35 million of the N50 million was
supposed to have gone to the tourism board.


A reporter for SaharaReporters learned that Mr. Mofe Damijo issued a
check to the tourism board in the name of its acting GM, Ms. Ajufo.
She in turn reportedly deposited the sum into her First Bank private
account with account number (3006131619) operated under her name, Nkem
Philo Ajufo. Our sources said she and Mr. Mofe Damijo subsequently
shared the money.