…DRAGGED TO EFCC OVER MISAPPROPRIATIONS
By Okosun Dennis
Chairman, Nigerian Legion (Lagos State chapter), DCG Akeem Olawale Wolimoh, seems to have bitten more than he can chew as he is enmeshed in an intractable case of alleged fraud that is becoming messier by the day.
Ten members of the State Executive Council have dragged him to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over what they described as “massive pillaging and embezzlement of funds” meant for the running of Nigerian Legion (Lagos State chapter) and various allocations.
Investigations revealed that Wolimoh single-handedly raked in all amounts of money realised from the sale of emblems, and other welfare funds meant for families of deceased military men, and embezzled it.
In addition, he is being accused of operating three bank accounts domiciled at three different commercial banks which served as conduit pipes for siphoning Legion’s funds without the executive members being in the know.
In a petition to the EFCC obtained by our correspondent, dated 4th March 2024 and signed by the Head of ‘D Ambassadors Chambers, Barr. Moses Ade-Ojo, the petitioners Col. Olatunji Julius (CNC); Col. Esan Jethro (CNC); Col. Yekeen A. Akeem (CNC); Col. Mary Dada (CNC); Col. Ademola Orisamoloye (CNC); Col. Adekoya Francis (CNC); Col. Igbaoreto Joseph (CNC); Col Adediran Bukola (CNC) and Col. Adebiyi Martins (CNC) among others alleged that DCG Akeem Wolimoh surreptitiously and clandestinely opened three different bank accounts with which he launders and diverts accrued money to the Nigerian Legion.
It was gathered that out of the six bank accounts, DCG Wolimoh claimed Lagos State chapter of Nigerian Legion operates, only three are known to the 57 members of the State Executive Council while the three others are for his illicit transactions.
The petitioners further revealed the account details used for the diversion of funds, embezzlement, and money laundering of Nigeria Legion, Lagos state chapter, funds to include: Nigerian Legion (Ojodu) Union Bank Acct No: 0084745881; Veteran Procurement: First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Account No: 1011039684 and Mr. Femi Abraham: Opay Account No: 8106166353.
The investigation, however, revealed that before he became the Chairman, Lagos State Chapter, DCG Wolimoh was said to be the Legion chairman of Ojodu local government where he had used the Union Bank account for the local government transactions.
However, soon after he was appointed the state Chairman, it was learnt, he maintained the account without declaring or making it known, an act that is laced with illicit intentions and out of order, it was revealed.
Instead of renouncing the account and allowing the local government branch to maintain such an account, he has been using it to drain the Lagos State chapter without the State Executive Council knowing it until recently when they probed into how the sums of money meant for the organization were ferried away.
However, one of the petitioners and a member of the executive council who responded to our correspondent’s findings on some of the allegations contained in the petition to EFCC, Col Esan Jethro, Chairman Ejigbo LCDA said DCG Wolimoh spent Legion’s money without authorization and didn’t give any reason for such spending, a thing all the executives are not happy about.
In addition, Jethro explained that Wolimoh was said to have collected money from Ejigbo LCDA to procure arms for their security men but refused to do what they requested, an act that has smeared the image and reputation of the Nigerian Legion.
According to him, “Concerning what you asked about DCG Wolimoh, we the executives are not happy about the way and manner he spends Legion’s money. I was told that he collected N3m from Ejigbo LCDA and he did not use the money for what it was supposed to, and also refused to refund the money.”
Similarly, the Chairman, Ijebu Lekki LCDA, Col Mary Dada (CNC) said DCG Wolimoh has become a tyrant who threatens any executive member who confronts his nefarious activities.
“I met him personally and thought we could discuss things to carry everybody along, but the way he responded was nothing to write home about. His response was most disdainful and unprofessional of a state chairman of the Nigerian Legion; an organization known for its discipline.
“Everything written about him in the petition to which I am a signatory is true. I have been a victim of his harassment as one of the state executives,” she said.
In the petition, DCG Akeem Wolimoh was also accused of dictatorship, maladministration, and habitual mismanagement of Nigerian Legion resources.
“He receives funds and commands the treasurer to transfer different funds to any account at will without accountability and transparency.
“One incident is the “5 million Salute 2023 Fund Raising” that DCG Wolimoh Akeem Olawale made and realized about N10m but failed to pay the workforce, which led to the frustration and depression suffered by the late Mr. Olamide, a Nigerian Legion Lagos State Officer, who later committed suicide by jumping into the 3rd Mainland bridge.”
It was gathered that to date, the remains of the young man were never recovered, thereby throwing the family of the officer, colleagues, and loved ones into long-time agony as a result of the avarice and selfishness of DCG Wolimoh Akeem Olawale.
Part of their prayers to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission is a robust, elaborate investigation of all his financial activities since his assumption of office in October 2022 till date.
In addition, they are also demanding that the Nigerian Army call for the official original Army Discharge Certificate of DCG Wolimoh Akeem Olawale of the Nigerian Legion Lagos State Chapter to determine its genuineness as he has been alleged to be masquerading with a fake discharge certificate.
In the same breath, they also request the Nigerian Army to call for the original Army discharge Certificate of the Chairmen of all the 57 Local Government Areas of the Nigerian Legion, Lagos State Chapter, from the Force’s Registry and Archives Files, adding that any chairman in Lagos State with a fraudulent and fake certificate, should be prosecuted and sanctioned according to military laws on forging.
On the embezzlement of sums of money realised from the sale of emblems, the petitioners claimed, “There is incessant abuse of the office of the Legion Chairman, Lagos State Chapter for prodigal extravagant lavish spending in living N10,000,000 Armed Forces Remembrance Day 2022 Emblem Fund Raising, his misappropriation of same, prodigious spending.
“DCG Akeem Wolimoh Olawale has been accused of siphoning State Government Allocations, and every other corrupt practice, lack of transparency and accountability.
Threat and intimidation by DCG Akeem Wolimoh against any concerned person who calls him to order on his gross misconduct and corrupt practices.
On gross misconduct, “DCG Wolimoh Akeem Olawale is gross indiscipline, and his activities in office depict him as one who lacks character and a bad representation of the Force and the Nigerian Legion as required by public office Laws, and gross violation of the Code of Conduct Bureau, maladministration, gross corrupt practices, are in violation and contravention of the provisions of the Nigerian Legion Act.
Attempts to reach DCG Wolimoh Akeem to respond to all the allegations against him failed. In addition, a text message sent to him was not responded to.
It would be recalled that the Chairman, Nigerian Legion (Lagos State chapter), DCG Wolimoh Akeem, earlier in December 2023 had a Vote of no Confidence passed on him by the entire members of the Executive Council and was subsequently impeached.
However, the National Chairman, Major General Jibrin Abdulmaliki (retd) intervened asking the aggrieved Executive Council members to suspend his impeachment while an investigation of various allegations was carried out.
Unfortunately, however, four months after the impeachment was carried out, no tangible thing has been done to resolve the lingering issues.
When our Correspondent spoke with Major General Abdulmalik (retd), he claimed that there was no money to sponsor officers to Lagos to carry out a thorough investigation, adding that will be done as soon as they get money from the 2024 emblem appeal fund before doing so.
In furtherance to that, not satisfied with the actions of the National headquarters in Abuja, some members of the Executive Council dragged DCG Wolimoh to the Zone 2 Command of the Nigerian Police where they – through a petition – compelled him to produce the certificate allegedly forged.
A reliable source hinted to our Correspondent that DCG Wolimoh Akeem has submitted a certificate to the police. Incidentally, the police have refused to make the certificate available to the Executive Council members to verify its authenticity and genuineness.
As some of these clarifications are been awaited, only infinite time will tell how these cases of allegations will be settled or cleared.
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