EFCC arrests health ministry workers involved in yellow fever card racketeering

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested four officials of Port Health Service of the Federal Ministry of Health in Benin City, Edo State over alleged e-yellow fever travel card racketeering.

This was revealed by the EFCC’s Acting Head, Media, and Publicity, Tony Orilade, in a statement on Saturday.

He disclosed that the Benin zonal office of the commission had, on Tuesday, arrested the suspects in a sting operation, after a petition.

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The petitioner had alleged that her aged mother, who was to travel to Europe, visited the Benin Office of Port Health Service to procure the e-yellow fever travel card, but, rather than lead her through the proper procedure, she was convinced to pay N10,000 to obtain the card instantly.

Moreso, the petitioner while boarding her flight at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, discovered that the e-yellow card did not have the Remita Retrieval Receipt Reference Identity.

The statement read, “She was subsequently compelled to get a proper one at the airport with the sum of N2,000. Based on the petition, the Benin zonal office of the EFCC sent two operatives to Port Health Service office in Benin, who pretended to have genuinely requested the e-yellow fever card.

“Unaware that they were EFCC operatives, the Port Health Service staff requested N7,000 as payment for each card. On payment of the amount, the EFCC operatives were issued with the cards instantly. The e-yellow fever travel card is officially N2,000.

“The illicit transaction made EFCC operatives swoop on Port Health Service office on Tuesday morning, arresting four of its officials. The arrested officials will be arraigned in court as soon as investigations are completed.”

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