Former Accountant-General of the Federation, Jonah Ogunnyi Otunla, has reportedly passed away in the United Kingdom on Monday, June 17.
A source disclosed that the former AGF recently travelled to the UK for treatment of a yet-to-be disclosed ailment.
“I can tell you that he died in the hours between Sunday June 17 and Monday June 17”, the source told Leadership.
“While alive, he faced prosecution from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“He was being hounded in connection with two cases — the alleged diversion of about N24 billion meant for disengaged staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and N2 billion allegedly received from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
“Along the line, he refunded to the Federal Government to the tune of a few billion naira,” the source added
Otunla had a distinguished career in finance, serving on the board of the Central Bank of Nigeria and as accountant-general of Oyo State in 1989.
He later joined the Federal Civil Service and was appointed accountant-general of the federation by former president Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.
Otunla retired from the civil service in 2015. However, his legacy was marred by allegations of corruption, with accusations of diverting billions of naira in public funds.
He had been in and out of court facing charges related to these allegations until his death.
Tinubu Travels To South Africa On Tuesday
In other news, President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to travel from Lagos to Pretoria, South Africa, on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, to participate in the presidential inauguration of Cyril Ramaphosa.
The inauguration of Ramaphosa follows his re-election as President for a second term.
This was disclosed in a statement on Monday by the presidency, signed by Tinubu’s special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.
President Tinubu will return to Nigeria after the ceremony according to the statement.