Alleged Fraud: Former Chief of Staff Accused of Defrauding IDPs in Adamawa State

Maxwell Michael Gidado, the former Chief of Staff to Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has been accused of defrauding Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of N1.5 million. Sabastine Ooya, acting on behalf of the displaced IDPs, claimed that Gidado collected the sum of N1.5 million in 2021 to help enlist 14 displaced persons into the state civil service.

However, three years later, the displaced persons had neither been employed as agreed nor had their monies refunded. The applicants were mainly young widows and orphans who lost their spouses or parents during the Boko Haram invasion of northern Adamawa State. The displaced persons were left stranded with nothing to fall back on.

Ooya paid N1.5 million in two instalments into Gidado’s account, but he has refused to refund the money. Ooya took Gidado to court, but the judge advised an alternative dispute resolution, settlement out of court.

On September 29, 2023, Ooya withdrew the case, but he has not responded to his calls or discussed how he would refund the money. The Adamawa State Government had opened an employment portal for qualified indigenes at the time, but Governor Fintiri suspended the process following complaints of racketeering.