MAKURDI, — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned Dr. Tersoo Loko, a former chairman of the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC), alongside 10 co-defendants before the Federal High Court in Makurdi over an alleged ₦1.1 billion fraud tied to funds released for local government elections in the state.
Loko and the other defendants — Kuleve Terlumun, Serki Manasseh, Denen Ronald, Tatyough Thaddeus, Dominic Terhember, Benjamin Igbawua, Adese Asom, Orkuma Nyiusta, Owoicho Odeh and Mhir Iyenge — were docked before Justice M. S. Abubakar on a 30-count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation of public funds and money laundering.
According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly diverted a total of ₦1,665,403,100 released for the conduct of the 2020 and 2022 local government elections in Benue. The anti-graft agency said it received a petition alleging abuse of office and diversion of election funds, which led to Loko’s arrest by the commission’s Makurdi Zonal Directorate.
The petition, the EFCC said, claimed that ₦985,403,001.74 and ₦680 million were released for the 2020 and 2022 exercises respectively, but only ₦565,039,506 was utilised for both elections — leaving ₦1,100,363,594 allegedly unaccounted for.
One count read in court alleged that Loko, while serving as BSIEC chairman in 2022, “did receive” ₦118,166,000 from BSIEC funds and diverted it for personal use, “knowing or reasonably ought to have known” the sum represented proceeds of unlawful activity. Another count alleged a similar diversion of ₦110,905,000 from BSIEC funds, contrary to provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).
All defendants pleaded not guilty. EFCC counsel M. Yusuf asked for a trial date, saying the prosecution was ready to prove its case. Justice Abubakar granted each defendant bail of ₦50 million with one surety in like sum, ordering sureties to present valid international passports, while the defendants were directed to deposit their passports with the court registrar. Pending perfection of the conditions, the court remanded the defendants in custody
