By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Abia State Government has arraigned three persons in court in connection with the alleged stealing of pension funds in the state.

The suspects who were arraigned in Federal High Court Umuahia on Tuesday, are Onyekachi Success Nwabueze, Miriam Azubuike and Victor Chisom Samuel.

In the case marked FHC/UM/CR/199/24 between Abia State government and Onyekachi Success Nwabueze, Miriam Azubuike, Victor Chisom Samuel and others, the six-count charge said the matter was brought pursuant to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act 2005 CAP M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004; Section 100 of the Pension Reform Act 2014; and sections 6 & 12 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015, as amended in 2024.

The charge sheet dated October 11, 2024, was signed by C. N. Iheji, Senior State Counsel for the Attorney General of Abia State.

According to the charge, the three arraigned persons and others now at large, between January and October 2024, allegedly conspired to defraud the state government of pension funds meant for real pensioners.

The charge also stated that the suspects were involved in pension fraud worth over 50 million naira, even as the state government listed some names and bank account numbers where the allegedly stolen money was syndicated.

However, some members of the opposition in the state are insisting that anyone arrested for the alleged pension fraud should be assumed innocent until proven guilty by the court.