The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested an official of JAMB in Makurdi, Philomina Chieshe, who claimed that a snake swallowed N36 million belonging to the exam body.

The money was part of the proceeds of the sale of scratch cards. EFCC officials told newsmen that Chieshe disclosed that the money was collected in installments from her by her Coordinator, Samuel Umoru.

In one of the statements she volunteered to the EFCC, Chieshe who is a clerk in the Makurdi office of JAMB, was said to have revealed that the coordinator usually asked her to withdraw proceeds of the sale of the cards from her account in two banks.

She claimed that she had been warning Umaru that it was wrong to use the money for miscellaneous expenses in the office or for private purposes but he would not listen.

Some of the withdrawals which she claimed were at the behest of the coordinator included the N340,000 withdrawn on May 5 and 26, 2014 with an ATM card. She also disclosed that she used her ATM card to withdraw N120,000 for the coordinator between June 17 and 18, 2014.

Chieshe added, “He instructed me to withdraw the sum of N640,000 using my card between June 30, 2014 and July 7, 2014.” It was learnt that Umaru had also been arrested and questioned about claims by Chieshe.

An EFCC operative told Punch that: “The interesting aspect of the disclosure is that Chieshe’s statement was obtained long before the snake and naira swallowing testimony became public knowledge.

“She was first quizzed on February 16, 2017 and made additional statements on April 7, 2017 , May 30, 2017 and June 28, 2017. “In all her statements before the EFCC, there was no mention of any episode of any snake and the disappearance of monies in her care.”