ICPC Wins N68.7m Contract Case Against Former Lawmaker

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Onamusi Onadeko, over his involvement in the award and execution of a **₦68.7 million constituency contract**, ending an eight-year legal battle.

In a statement issued on Saturday by its Head of Media and Public Communications, Demola Bakare, the anti-graft agency said the judgment was delivered by Justice Chizoba Oji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, who also ruled that legislative aides qualify as public officers under the ICPC Act.

Onadeko, who represented Ogun East Federal Constituency between 1999 and 2003, was arraigned by the commission in 2017 on an 11-count amended charge bordering on abuse of office, conflict of interest and making inconsistent statements.

According to the ICPC, the former lawmaker committed the offences while serving as Senior Legislative Aide to the late Senator Buruji Kashamu, who represented Ogun East Senatorial District between 2015 and 2019.

The commission alleged that Onadeko used two private companies — Stanton Engineering Limited and Haines and Baines Limited — to execute constituency projects funded with public resources.

The projects included the procurement of ambulance vehicles, supply of drugs and hospital equipment to primary healthcare centres, and construction of classrooms in six communities within Ogun East Senatorial District.

ICPC told the court that Onadeko served as the Managing Director of Stanton Engineering Limited and a nominal Director of Haines and Baines Limited while functioning as a Senior Legislative Aide, a situation it argued contravened Sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

The commission also accused him of making contradictory statements during its investigation.

According to the prosecution, Onadeko had deposed to an affidavit dated June 30, 2016, identifying himself as a director of Haines and Baines Limited, but later denied being either a shareholder or director of the company in a statement made to investigators on May 5, 2017.

During the trial, defence counsel, Wahab Olatoyebi, argued that his client could not be prosecuted under the ICPC Act because his appointment as a legislative aide was temporary, non-pensionable and therefore did not qualify him as a public officer.

However, Justice Oji dismissed the argument, relying on Onadeko’s letter of appointment and the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of *Federal Government of Nigeria v. Farouk Lawan*.

The court held that legislative aides are public officers within the meaning of the ICPC Act and can therefore be prosecuted under its provisions.

Justice Oji subsequently found Onadeko guilty on the count of making inconsistent statements but discharged and acquitted him on Counts 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

Following a plea for leniency by the defence, the court sentenced the former lawmaker to nine months’ imprisonment with an option of a ₦50,000 fine.

The ICPC described the verdict as a landmark judgment, saying it establishes that political appointees who receive salaries, allowances or other emoluments from public funds are public officers under the law.

According to the commission, the ruling extends to Personal Assistants, Special Assistants, Senior Special Assistants, Legislative Aides, Senior Legislative Aides and other similar appointees, regardless of whether their appointments are temporary, fixed-term or non-pensionable.