Henrietta Okojie, a staff member of the Account and Finance Department at the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), was arraigned on Friday before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Okojie is one of four REA employees accused of involvement in a N1.85 billion fraud case brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The other three officials have already been arraigned, with two of them, Emmanuel Pada and Umar Laraye, remanded in prison.
Usman Kwakwa was released on bail.
Okojie, facing a four-count charge, appeared in court to take her plea.
ICPC lawyer Osuobeni Akponimisingha informed the court that Okojie was present to plead, leading him to request the vacation of a June 6 bench warrant issued against her. Justice Nwite granted this request.
Okojie pleaded not guilty to all four charges.
Following her plea, Akponimisingha requested a trial date.
Okojie’s lawyer, Ishiaku Garba, noted that a bail application had been filed and served on the prosecution on June 11.
Akponimisingha acknowledged receipt of the application on Tuesday, stating he needed time to respond, particularly since June 12 was a public holiday.
The judge agreed, allowing the prosecution time to respond.
Justice Nwite ordered Okojie to be remanded in the Suleja Correctional Centre and adjourned the bail hearing to June 20, with the trial set for July 10.
The June 6 bench warrant for Okojie, Laraye, and Pada was issued after they failed to appear for their scheduled arraignment.
The ICPC accused the four defendants of misappropriating public funds intended for rural electrification projects.
Okojie, specifically, was charged with receiving N342 million in different tranches through her Access Bank account under the false pretence of project supervision in March 2023.
This offence contravenes Section 1(1)(a) and is punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
