Awuawe Clement: Ex-Benue college Registrar arraigned over admission scam

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Awuawe Clement, the former Registrar of the Benue State School of Health Technology in Agasha, on charges of admission racketeering.

Clement is accused of collecting and diverting N4.47 million paid by unsuspecting admission seekers.

According to a statement by ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare, Clement faces three charges of providing false statements to ICPC officers during the investigation, a violation under Section 25(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices Act 2000. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Count One against the defendant reads: “That you, CLEMENT, between 2018 and 2019, at Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a Public Officer as the Registrar of the School of Health Technology, Agasha, used your position to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself by collecting a total sum of N4,476,500. You continued to sell admission forms to unsuspecting prospective students after the closure of sales for your personal use and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”

He was said to have collected the alleged sum after the institution had closed the sale of admission forms for the year.

Counsel to the defendant, Mr Kelvin Iorzenda, moved an application for bail on behalf of his client.

The prosecution counsel, Mr T. S. Lorngee, on his part, did not oppose the bail application moved by the defendant’s counsel.

The presiding judge, Justice Egbe Raphael, thereafter granted the defendant bail in the sum of two million naira (N2,000,000) and one surety in like sum.

The judge added, “The surety shall be a Public or Civil Servant, either at the Federal or State level. The surety shall deposit photocopies of the letter of first appointment and last promotion, identity card, passport photographs, and shall swear to an affidavit of means and address.”

The matter was adjourned to December 12, 2024, for hearing.