Another Foreign Affairs Director In Buhari Government Caught In Financial Fraud, Shielded By Ministers Since 2019
An assistant director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Amie Alex-Irobi, is presently at the centre of a N2.5 million financial fraud which she engaged in towards a firm, Eraskorp Nigeria Limited, according to documents obtained by SaharaReporters.
SaharaReporters gathered that Alex-Irobi, who is at the Department of Technical Cooperation in Africa, collected the money from the firm in late 2019 with promises to help them secure contracts.
The firm, after the director defaulted, then wrote a petition to the Ministry and the woman was subsequently brought before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, for more detailed investigations.
Top sources in the ministry stated on Monday that instead of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, and the Minister of state For Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada, to act on the investigations, they shielded the woman and seconded her from the DTCA to a free trade zone authority to operate.
In a letter by the firm, Eraskorp, dated October 14, 2019, and written by its solicitor, Ajayi Olowo and Co and addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, the complaint was titled, “Report of obtaining False Pretext of a sum of N2.5 million from Eraskorp Nigeria Limited by Mrs Amie Alex-Irobi, an Assistant Director with DTCA.”
The letter obtained by SaharaReporters reads, “We are legal counsel to the Eraskorp Nigeria Limited, hereinafter referred to as our client. We have been briefed that Mrs Amie Alex-Irobi, a serving Assistant Director at the DTCA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in May 2017 collected from our client the sum of N2.5 million only on the pretext that she was going to source contracts/projects for our client.
“As at April 2019, Mrs Amie Alex-Irobi had neither refunded the said sum of money nor sourced any contracts/projects for our client. In view of the continual violation of the extant provisions of the law by the said Mrs Amie Alex-Irobi, who is currently a senior staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have forwarded a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission – a copy of said petition for your necessary attention.” See Also 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs then wrote to the Director-General of the DTCA and directed the Assistant Director to be released to the EFCC for investigation.
In a letter dated October 28, 2019, and signed by Ahmed Iya, Deputy Director (APEDD) for honourable minister, the ministry said, “I am directed to forward herewith attached letter from Ajayi Olowo & Co solicitors, advocates, cooperate, property and tax consultants on the above subject for your attention and reaction.”
In another letter dated February 18, 2020, and signed by Lot Egopija, Director (Planning Research and Statistics), the ministry directed the woman to appear before the EFCC for investigation and questioning.
Top sources told SaharaReporters that after Alex-Irobi came back from the EFCC, her financial fraud investigations gradually died down after lobbying with the two ministers.
“In 2016, she was demoted from rank of Assistant Director GL 15 to Chief Programme Officer GL 14 for acts of serious misconduct. In fact, the Disciplinary Committee recommended her for dismissal from service but for the magnanimity of then minister, Kadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim, who directed for a review on a compassionate basis.
“It was thereafter that the officer embarked on another defrauding expedition culminating in the report under reference. The two ministers are well aware of the issues but they are in the habit of shielding and making DTCA a safe haven for criminals. The matter has been left uninvestigated or treated with levity. She was in fact promoted in the December 2020 promotion exercise to the rank of Assistant Director and granted secondment to the African Free Trade Zone so as to circumvent and avoid further questions about the officer,” the source stated.
“She is from Rivers State but related by marriage to the minister, Onyeama. She is also related to Mr Lot Peter Egopija, Director, Planning Research and Statistics from Rivers State. This Mr. Egopija even went to the ridiculous extent of stating that the earlier indictment of the lady in 2016 for fraud related activities was victimisation and should be reviewed.
“The DTCA Board headed by Ambassador Zubairu Dada with similar inclinations turned a blind eye to these gross misconduct,” another source said. See Also 
SaharaReporters had on May 3 reported that a director at the same ministry, Suleiman Momoh, who raised a N10 million bribe which he paid to secure his office, was removed and replaced after SaharaReporters’ story.
Authoritative sources stated that Momoh was removed as the Head of Human Resource Department after he was summoned and could not clear himself.
The former Head of HR, Mr Haliru Abubakar, was reportedly reinstated by the DTCA Director-General.
SaharaReporters had on April 23 exposed how Momoh made a handwritten agreement to borrow money from one of his friends, while raising the N10 million bribe which he paid to secure his office.
Apart from the agreement, there was also a petition against Momoh which was forwarded to the DTCA when Momoh refused to pay back the borrowed money – a petition which was swept under the carpet by the former Director-General and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada.
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