Former registrar of Benue school of health technology arraigned for admission racketeering

Friday, October 18, 2024 -   The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged Mr. Awuawe Terwase Clement, the former Registrar of the Benue State School of Health Technology in Agasha, with involvement in an alleged admission scam amounting to N4.4 million.

Mr Clement was arraigned on Tuesday before Justice Egbe Joshua Raphael of the Federal High Court 2, Makurdi, for allegedly collecting and diverting N4,466,500 paid by unsuspecting admission seekers into the institution after the sale of admission forms had closed for the year.

In a three-count charge filed by the ICPC, the former Registrar was also accused of making false statements to officers of the Commission during the investigation, an offence under Section 25(1)(a) and punishable under Section 25(1)(b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

Count One against the defendant reads: “That you, AWUAWE TERWASE CLEMENT (m) 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 School of Health Technology Agasha used your position to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself by collecting a total sum of N4,476,500(Four Million Four Hundred and Seventy Six Thousand Five Hundred Naira) when you continued to sell admission forms to unsuspecting prospective students after the closure of sales for your personal use and therefore committed any offence punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”

Mr Clement however pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
In light of the ‘not guilty’ plea, counsel for 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 counsel to the defendant.

The presiding judge, Justice Egbe Joshua Raphael, thereafter granted the defendant bail in the sum of two million naira (2,000.000) and one surety in like sum.

The judge added that “the surety shall be a Public or Civil Servant either at the Federal or State. The Surety shall deposit photocopies of letter of first Appointment and last promotion, Identity Card, Passports Photographs and shall swear to affidavit of means and address.”

However, the matter was adjourned to December 12, 2024 for hearing.