By Newspot Nigeria News Desk
📍 Yola– The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned two project officers, Mr. Popoona Samuel and Mr. Arama Davies Gyandi, before the Federal High Court in Yola, Adamawa State, over an alleged diversion of World Bank funds meant for the rehabilitation of insurgency-affected schools in the state.
The two defendants appeared before Honourable Justice Tijjani G. Ringin on a four-count charge bordering on money laundering and conversion of funds derived from corruption. According to the ICPC, the charges stem from their alleged misuse of funds while serving as State Education Investment Project Officers in the Office of the Accountant General of Adamawa State in 2020.
Court documents indicate that both Samuel and Gyandi allegedly conspired to launder over ₦4.9 million, which had been refunded by the School-Based Management Committees of Kwaja Primary School, Mubi South, and Mutuku Primary School, Hong. The ICPC claimed that these funds, part of a World Bank initiative to renovate primary schools impacted by Boko Haram insurgency, were fraudulently deposited and transferred into private accounts.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecuting counsel T.S. Iorngee subsequently requested a trial date, while defense counsel S.J. Wugira applied for bail. The court granted bail under strict conditions: each defendant must post a ₦5 million bond with a surety who is either a senior civil servant, a registered company director, or a traditional ruler of District Head rank or above. The court also required documentation for verification.
The matter was adjourned to October 22, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
This development underscores ongoing efforts by the ICPC to uphold accountability in the management of international donor funds and education projects in insurgency-affected regions.
📌 Full press statement from the ICPC is reproduced below.
📰 Reported by Newspot Nigeria
INDEPENDENT CORRUPT PRACTICES AND OTHER RELATED OFFENCES COMMISSION (ICPC)
PRESS RELEASE
Friday 18th July, 2025
ICPC Arraigns Project Officers over Alleged Diversion of World Bank Project Funds in Adamawa
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned one Mr. Popoona Samuel and Mr. Arama Davies Gyandi before a Federal High Court sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, over an alleged diversion of funds released by the World Bank for the rehabilitation of schools affected by insurgency within the State.
The two accused persons were brought on Wednesday before Honourable Justice Tijjani G. Ringin on a four-count charge bordering on money laundering and retention/conversion of proceeds of an unlawful act.
According to the ICPC, the duo of Samuel and Gyandi, while serving as officers under the State Education Investment Project in the Office of the Accountant General of Adamawa State in 2020, allegedly conspired to launder funds belonging to the School-Based Management Committees of primary schools in the state.
Counts one and two of the charge read thus:
“That you, Popoona Samuel (M) and Arama Davies Gyandi (M), sometime in the year 2020, at Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while serving as State Education Investment Project Officers in the Office of The Accountant General of Adamawa State, did conspire among yourselves to commit an offence of money laundering, to wit: you took possession of the total sum of ₦2,400,000.00 (Two Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira) refunded by the School-Based Management Committee of Kwaja Primary School, Mubi South, which was paid into Zenith Bank Plc Account No: 2116268547 belonging to Popoona Samuel, out of which the sum of ₦1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) was transferred to UBA Plc Account No: 2302541629 belonging to Arama Davies Gyandi, being part of the funds provided by the World Bank for the renovation of primary schools affected by insurgency in Adamawa State when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sums formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: corruption.
“That you, Popoona Samuel (M), sometime in the year 2020, at Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while serving as the State Education Investment Project Officer in the Office of the Accountant General of Adamawa State, did take possession of the sum of ₦2,500,000.00 (Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) refunded by the School-Based Management Committee of Mutuku Primary School, Hong, from Unity Bank Plc Account No: 0042530017 and the sum of ₦2,400,000.00 (Two Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira) refunded by the School-Based Management Committee of Kwaja Primary School, Mubi South, into your Zenith Bank Plc Account No: 2116268547, being part of the funds provided by the World Bank for the renovation of primary schools affected by insurgency in Adamawa State, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sums formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: corruption.”
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges when read to them.
In view of the ‘not guilty’ pleas entered by the defendants, counsel to the ICPC, Mr. T.S. Iorngee, applied to the court for a date for the commencement of trial.
Counsel to the defendants, S.J. Wugira, on his part, moved an application for bail for his clients, which the court granted under the following terms:
Bail bond of ₦5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) with one surety in like sum. The surety must be a Federal Public Servant or Adamawa State Government Public Servant on salary grade level 14 and above, or a traditional ruler not below the rank of District Head, or a Director of a company registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) with a share capital of at least ₦10,000,000.
Additionally, the Defendants and their surety are to provide: Two recent passport photographs, official means of identification, a valid registered phone number, an affidavit of means, a recommendation letter from the Defendants’ counsel, utility bills, and a proper verification of the residential address of the surety by the court and the prosecution.
The case was thereafter adjourned to 22nd October 2025 for the commencement of the trial.
Signed
Demola Bakare, fsi
Director, Public Enlightenment and Education / Spokesperson for the Commission
