Pubdate: Sun, 14 Sep 2008 Source: Leadership Nigeria (Nigeria) Copyright: 2008 Leadership Newspapers Group Limited Contact: http://www.leadershipnigeria.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4706 Author: Babangida Kakaki NGO SWINDLES GOVT; TOP OFFICIAL IMPLICATED In what appears as a perpetual fraud, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Kaduna, The Campaign against Substance and Drug Abuse (CASADA), has allegedly swindled the government of 2 million naira in the name of organising a workshop against drug abuse among youths. The NGO, CASADA had, in, July 17, 2007 approached the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Commandant, Mohammed Malami Sokoto to collaborate and hold a workshop on the menace of drug abuse among youths in Zaria , of which a covering letter was written to the Governor Namadi Sambo by NDLEA, and he approved the sum. But the Co-ordinator of the NGO, Mohammed Sani, went behind on March this year, collected the N2million and even gave a top government official N500,000 and another protocol officer (names withheld) N200,000 and spent the rest without holding the workshop. After some days, the NDLEA Commandant, Malami Sokoto whose name and image of the Agency was at stake, sent for the NGO Co-ordinator several times, but he refused to honour the summon but, at one time even told his driver that he had given so and so amount to some people in the government, and spent the rest. Later, he sent for his arrest, while some of his property was brought to their office in Zaria. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart