N61.41m ‘Unauthorised’ Transfers: Nigerian Radiographers Board Queries Accountant, Petitions EFCC, No Action After 11 Months | Sahara Reporters

The allegations are contained in a series of official correspondences dated October 15, 16, 17 and 21, 2025, reviewed in connection with the transactions.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN), Prof. Mark C. Okeji, queried the board’s Head of Finance and Accounts, Olarinde Adesoji A., over the alleged unauthorised transfer of ₦61.41 million from the agency’s account to two private companies, documents seen by SaharaReporters has revealed.

Okeji subsequently petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), describing the transactions as “criminal diversion of Government fund” and asking the anti-graft agency to investigate and recover the money with accrued interest.

The allegations are contained in a series of official correspondences dated October 15, 16, 17 and 21, 2025, reviewed in connection with the transactions.

According to a query issued to Olarinde on October 15, 2025, the Registrar said he was informed that ₦33.08 million and ₦10.33 million had been transferred from the RRBN account to Bellmatic Agro Limited at Fidelity Bank.

The query stated that ₦33.08 million was transferred on October 28, 2024, while another ₦10.33 million was transferred on November 9, 2024, into Bellmatic Agro Limited’s Fidelity Bank account number 5620149631.

Okeji also questioned the transfer of another ₦18 million from the board’s account to Melkam Star Global Ventures Limited at TAJ Bank on June 5, 2025.

The money was transferred into account number 0005754901 belonging to the company, according to the query.

“It was brought to my notice that you surreptitiously transferred, without my knowledge and authorization,” the Registrar stated.

He described the transactions as “a serious misconduct in line with PSR 100402 (L, M, and N)” and gave Olarinde 48 hours to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him.

“Failure to submit within this time limit will be taken to mean that you do not wish to make any, and appropriate sanction will be invoked,” Okeji warned.

In his response dated October 16, 2025, Olarinde denied making the transfers surreptitiously or with the intention of committing an offence.

He explained that the ₦43.41 million transferred to Bellmatic Agro Limited was connected to the board’s obligation to remit 25 percent of its revenue to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

According to him, the arrangement was intended to temporarily move the money from the board’s account and return it after monitoring and inspection agencies had completed their activities.

“The sum of Thirty-three Million and Eighty Thousand Naira only (₦33,080,000) as well as the Ten Million, Three Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira only (₦10,330,000) which make a total sum of Forty-three Million, Four Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira only (₦43,410,000) was as a result of the need for reducing the 25% Revenue Income into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) for RRBN as a corporate entity,” he stated.

Olarinde said the arrangement was conceived because monitoring agencies allegedly charged heavily based on the board’s revenue.

“Most of the monitoring agencies that always come to look at our accounting books usually charge too much on the revenue income,” he wrote.

He said the funds were temporarily kept outside the board’s account.

“The idea was conceived to reduce the 25% into CRF and later bring in back the money to the corporate RRBN account after the monitoring and inspection agencies might have completed their tasks; thereby reducing the 25% in favour of RRBN,” he stated.

He described the arrangement as “warehousing the funds for a full financial year.”

Olarinde said he believed he had discussed the arrangement with the Registrar but later realised that Okeji had not been informed.

“I thought that I had discussed it with you sir, but I didn’t know that it was not brought to your knowledge. Sir, I am so sorry for this error of omission for not bringing it to your notice,” he stated.

“I didn’t surreptitiously or intentionally transfer the money, having known the gravity of such an offence sir,” he wrote.

On the separate ₦18 million transaction, Olarinde said the money was used to settle accumulated tax liabilities covering 2020 to 2023.

He said tax officials provided the account details used for the payment after the board experienced difficulties accessing the Tax Promax platform.

“The payment of Eighteen Million Naira only (18,000,000) is the accumulation of tax liabilities of 2020-2023 given to us by the Tax Officers to pay,” he stated.

“The Tax Officers gave the account number to us to make payment when it was difficult to pay the liabilities on the Tax Promax platform, because we were having difficulty in opening the Tax Promax platform for payment of arears of liabilities,” he added.

Olarinde further claimed that several members of the accounts department were aware of the transactions and the method used.

“Sir, most of my accounts staff know about these payments and the methodology adopted, but they may not know the lapse of the time to return the money back to the Board’s account,” he stated.

He nevertheless apologised to the Registrar and management, describing the situation as an error.

“With all due respect, humility and sincerity of purpose, I tender my unreserved apology and regret any inconvenience this action might cause you, and your Management,” he wrote.

He added that such an incident had not occurred during his 32 years of service.

“It has never happened before since the past 32 years of my service, and it can never happen again,” he stated.

Olarinde subsequently pleaded for forgiveness and promised greater transparency in future transactions.

“I hereby plead with you to use your good offices and your kind heart to pardon me. I promise to bring all transaction dealings openly to your knowledge henceforth,” he stated.

The Registrar rejected Olarinde’s explanation in a follow-up letter dated October 17, 2025.

“The response to the above-mentioned query is unacceptable to me,” Okeji stated.

He specifically rejected the explanation that the ₦43.41 million was transferred to avoid the 25 percent CRF remittance.

“The reason given that you diverted the money without my consent to evade 25% payment into CRF is criminal and should not have been contemplated at all,” the Registrar stated.

Okeji then directed Olarinde to refund the ₦43.41 million and ₦18 million to the board’s account within 24 hours.

“You are by this letter directed to refund the 43,410,000 (Forty-three Million, Four Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira only) and 18,000,000 (Eighteen Million Naira only) respectively into the Board’s account within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of this letter,” he stated.

“Failure to return the monies within the time limit will result in appropriate sanction being invoked against you,” the Registrar warned.

Four days later, on October 21, 2025, Okeji petitioned the EFCC over the transactions.

The petition, titled “Diversion Of Government Fund By The Head Of Finance And Accounts And Others,” alleged that the Head of Finance and Accounts and others diverted government funds without the Registrar’s knowledge or approval.

“I write to report incidence of criminal diversion of Government fund by the Head of Finance and Account, and others without my knowledge and approval,” Okeji stated.

The Registrar told the EFCC that ₦33.08 million had been transferred to Bellmatic Agro Limited on October 29, 2024, followed by another ₦10.33 million to the same company on November 9, 2024.

He also reported the ₦18 million transfer to Melkam Star Global Ventures Limited on June 5, 2025.

Okeji asked the EFCC to investigate the transactions and identify those involved.

“Kindly investigate this matter and bring all the persons involved to book and the money returned to the Board’s account with the accrued interest at the prevailing bank lending rate,” he stated.

He attached the queries issued to Olarinde and the finance officer’s responses to the petition.

However, sources told SaharaReporters that despite the queries issued in 2025, no visible action had been taken as of the time of filing this report in 2026.

“The Radiographers Registration Board has not taken any meaningful action since then. In fact, the petition written to the EFCC, it is doubted that it got to them, because if it did, the impacts would have been seen,” one of the sources said.

Sources also told SaharaReporters that no disciplinary panel had been set up to address the issue.

“There is supposed to be a panel to address the development, but such has not been set up till September 2026,” another source told SaharaReporters.

Documents reviewed show that the dispute centres on the authority, purpose, and handling of ₦61.41 million transferred from the RRBN’s account.

While Olarinde attributed the ₦43.41 million transfer to an arrangement intended to reduce the board’s 25 percent CRF remittance, and said the ₦18 million payment was for outstanding tax liabilities, the Registrar rejected the explanation, characterising the first transaction as a criminal attempt to evade the CRF payment.

Olarinde had not responded to requests for comment on the allegations of unauthorised transfers as of the time of this report; he did not answer calls placed to his phone and did not reply to messages sent to his line.

EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale had also not responded to requests for comment as of the time of filing this report.

Despite reading messages enquiring whether the petition from the Radiographers Board had reached the Commission and whether investigations were ongoing, he did not respond to the enquiries as of the time of filing this report.