The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN), Prof. Mark C. Okeji, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged unauthorized transfer of ₦61.41 million from the agency’s account to two private companies.
The controversy centers on a series of transactions flagged by the Registrar in late 2025. According to documents obtained by Sahara Reporters, Prof. Okeji issued a formal query to the board’s Head of Finance and Accounts, Olarinde Adesoji A., on October 15, 2025. The query detailed the surreptitious transfer of ₦33.08 million and ₦10.33 million to Bellmatic Agro Limited at Fidelity Bank, followed by an additional ₦18 million transferred to Melkam Star Global Ventures Limited at TAJ Bank.
“It was brought to my notice that you surreptitiously transferred, without my knowledge and authorization,” the Registrar stated in the query, demanding an immediate explanation for the movement of the substantial funds.
In his response dated October 16, 2025, the accountant denied any criminal intent, framing the transfers as a strategic administrative maneuver. He claimed the ₦43.41 million sent to Bellmatic Agro Limited was a temporary measure designed to reduce the board’s statutory obligation to remit 25 percent of its revenue to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).
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Prof. Okeji swiftly and categorically rejected this justification in a follow-up letter the very next day. “The reason given that you diverted the money without my consent to evade 25 percent payment into CRF is criminal and should not have been contemplated at all,” the Registrar wrote, ordering the immediate refund of the entire ₦61.41 million within 24 hours.
Escalating the matter beyond internal disciplinary channels, the Registrar formally petitioned the EFCC on October 21, 2025. He described the transactions as a “criminal diversion of Government fund” and urged the anti-graft agency to investigate the matter and recover the money alongside accrued interest.
However, despite the severity of the allegations and the formal petition to the EFCC, sources indicate that as of late 2026, no visible disciplinary or legal action has been taken against the accused accountant.
This prolonged inaction casts a long shadow over the RRBN’s internal governance, underscoring a broader, systemic challenge in Nigeria’s public sector: the alarming gap between the detection of financial irregularities and the actual enforcement of accountability. Until concrete steps are taken to resolve the matter, the integrity of the board’s financial oversight remains deeply compromised, leaving taxpayers to wonder if the watchdogs are truly equipped to police themselves.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
