The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged Mr. Netufo Olaniyi Alaba, the suspended Executive Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), and Mr. Hassan Arivi Saddiq, Managing Director of Hassino Group Limited, with bribery and abuse of office over a N15 million contract scandal.
Appearing before Justice Celestine Obinna at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, both men were arraigned on multiple corruption-related charges.
In a statement issued by the Director of Public Enlightenment and Education and Spokesperson for the Commission, Demola Bakare, on Thursday, the ICPC alleges that Mr. Alaba abused his position to grant undue advantages to Mr. Saddiq in exchange for financial benefits.
According to the prosecution, Mr. Alaba received N15 million from Mr. Saddiq in return for facilitating contract opportunities at the Federal Ministry of Power and other government agencies. One of the charges states:
“That you, Netufo Olaniyi Alaba, between September and October 2022, while serving as Executive Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, used your office to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself by receiving N15,000,000 from Hassan Arivi Saddiq to show favour in facilitating contract jobs and businesses for him. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Similarly, the charge against Mr. Saddiq states:
“That you, Hassan Arivi Saddiq, between September and October 2022, corruptly gave the sum of N10,000,000 to Netufo Olaniyi Alaba via his First Bank account No. 2005009459 as an inducement for securing contract jobs at the Federal Ministry of Power and other organizations. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Sections 9(a) and 9(b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Both defendants pleaded not guilty. Their lawyers, Myson N. and S. Yusuf, urged the court to grant them bail on lenient terms, arguing that they posed no flight risk and had credible sureties willing to stand for them.
The case is part of a broader anti-corruption crackdown at the Rural Electrification Agency, where senior officials were suspended last year following a N1.2 billion fraud investigation.
Justice Obinna adjourned the case for further hearing while considering the bail applications.
