Court fixes December 11 to commence trial of EFCC officer arraigned for ‘stealing N22m from exhibit’

The Kaduna state high court has adjourned the trial of Polycarp Andrew, a dismissed officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to December 11, 2025.

Andrew, a former exhibit keeper at the EFCC zonal office in Kaduna, is standing trial on a six-count charge of criminal breach of trust.

He was accused of stealing N22 million from exhibits kept at the EFCC’s Kaduna zonal office and was later arrested in Taraba state after allegedly absconding when investigations linked him to the theft.

“That you Andrew Polycary, being a public servant (exhibit keeper) in the employment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Kaduna Zonal Directorate between 26th January to 11th October 2023 in Kaduna within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Kaduna State and in such capacity entrusted with the sum of $11,900(Eleven Thousand Nine Hundred Dollars) in equivalent aggregate sum of N10,936,338.26 (Ten Million, Nine Hundred and Thirty Six Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty Eight Hundred Naira, Twenty Six Kobo) for safe keeping did commit criminal breach of trust in respect of the said sum of money an offence punishable under section 300 of Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017,” one of the charges read.

The dismissed EFCC officer pleaded not guilty to the charges.

WEDNESDAY’S PROCEEDINGS

At the resumption of hearing on Wednesday, H.M. Mohammed, counsel to the EFCC, told the court that the prosecution was ready to present two witnesses—an officer of the anti-corruption agency and an Opay official.

Responding, D.B. Kwajafa, the defence counsel, said he was not ready for trial and appealed to the court to give adequate time to prepare for trial.

Kwajafa said the defence team was recently served with a flash drive containing the video recording of the defendant’s extrajudicial statement when he was arrested.

The defence counsel sought adjournment to study the statement.

Countering Kwajafa’s comment, Mohammed argued that the flash drive was irrelevant to the case at the moment.

After the arguments, A. Bello, the trial judge, adjourned the case to December 11 for hearing.