In a significant development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has made strides in the trial of Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley, who stands accused of defrauding an American citizen, Nicole Kierulff Sayers, of $370,000 through a contrived marriage. Testifying as the Second Prosecution Witness (PW2), Okanne Kelechi revealed before Justice U.P Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, that the EFCC has successfully recovered $13,204 along with other assets from the defendant. Among the recovered assets detailed by Kelechi were a plot of land in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and…
Author: Adewale A.
The Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Rivers Marine Command, Port Harcourt, Bashir Mohammed Lawal, has extended commendations to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its proactive measures in combating economic and financial crimes. Lawal further emphasised the necessity for enhanced collaboration between the two agencies, particularly in information and intelligence sharing. Lawal conveyed his appreciation during a courtesy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the EFCC on Monday, February 12, 2024. As the newly appointed Comptroller of Immigration for Rivers Marine Command, Lawal expressed his eagerness to foster a robust relationship and synergy with…
In a recent development, the Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has initiated legal proceedings against Obinna Calistus Okoli, the Chairman of the Onitsha/Odekpe Plastic Market Association. Okoli stands accused before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, for allegedly obtaining funds under false pretences to the tune of N6,700,000. The arraignment, which took place on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, saw Okoli and the Onitsha/Odekpe Plastic Market Association facing a two-count charge related to fraudulent activities involving the aforementioned sum of money. One of the charges reads: “That you, Obinna…
The Department of Development Control under the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council has raised concerns over the escalating issue of land grabbing within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), prompting a call for assistance from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The appeal was made during a visit to the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, February 15, 2024. Mukhtar Usman Galadima, the Director of the department, led a delegation of senior officials, highlighting the need for collaboration in addressing the growing menace of land grabbing and unauthorised developments in the region. Galadima stated, “We are here specifically to seek collaboration…
The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently brought Ajayi Oluwabukola Temitope before the Oyo State High Court, accusing her of defrauding her victims of N58,458,000 through false pretences. On Wednesday, February 14, 2024, Temitope was arraigned before Justice Kamorudeen Babatunde Olawoyin on four counts of obtaining money by false pretence, a violation of Section 419 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000. One of the charges detailed how Temitope allegedly deceived Alhaji Yusuf Nadabo into parting with N23,183,000 under the guise of supplying four trucks of RC Cola, Zero…
In a significant ruling at the Kaduna State High Court, Justice A. A. Isiaka has delivered convictions and imposed prison sentences on three individuals found guilty of internet-related fraud. The convicted individuals, namely Ogochukwu Mitchel Emmanuel Ijeh, Mohammed Kabir Bello, and Sunday Simon (known as Ryan Eggold), were sentenced following their admission of guilt to separate charges brought against them by the Kaduna State Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Ogochukwu Mitchel Emmanuel Ijeh, also known as Dave Brandon, was charged with presenting himself falsely as a Medical Doctor named Dave Brandon, purportedly working at the…
In a landmark ruling on Thursday, February 15, 2024, Justice A. Abdussalam of the Gombe State High Court, situated in Gombe, delivered a decisive blow against fraudulent activities by convicting and sentencing Kelvin Tikus, a 36-year-old employee of the Nigerian Correctional Service, to three years imprisonment for perpetrating an employment scam. Tikus found himself in the dock after the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought forward a one-count charge of fraudulent conversion against him. The charge, as read by the court, outlined Tikus’s deceitful actions, stating that he, in August 2021 within the jurisdiction…
BudgIT, a leading civic-tech organization promoting transparency, accountability, and effective service delivery in Nigeria, under its State Fiscal Transparency League project, has extensively assessed the procurement websites of Nigeria’s 36 states to evaluate the level of transparency and accessibility of procurement-related information to the public. The assessments, categorized into three categories – Green, Yellow, and Red – are as follows: green indicates that a state’s e-procurement portal is operating and data is available; yellow shows that a state has functional portals but outdated data, while red shows a state has neither an eProcurement portal nor data. Based on our assessment,…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has made a significant breakthrough in its fight against financial fraud, with the recent arrest of Apostle Theophilus Oloche Ebonyi, the General Overseer of Faith On The Rock Ministry International. The arrest comes in connection with a staggering scam involving fake grants purportedly from the Ford Foundation, amounting to a whopping N1.3 billion. Apostle Theophilus Oloche Ebonyi stands accused of orchestrating a sophisticated fraud scheme that targeted church members and other unsuspecting Nigerians. Operating under the guise of his NGO, Theobarth Global Foundation, Ebonyi allegedly advertised an intervention project, falsely claiming that the…
In a decisive move against cybercrime, Justice Chigozie Sergius Onah of the Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has delivered a verdict, convicting and sentencing three individuals for their involvement in criminal impersonation, internet fraud, and possession of fraudulent documents. The convicted individuals, Abraham Itoro Sunday, Ezea Chidera Charles, and Udoh Christopher Gabriel, faced charges brought by the Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). They were arraigned on separate one-count charges related to cybercrimes and pleaded guilty to all charges. Abraham Itoro Sunday was accused of fraudulent impersonation on Facebook, posing as Brian…
The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned businessman Alexander Adeniran Babarinde, hailing from Oro-Ago in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, over alleged involvement in a contract scam, obtaining money under false pretences, and forgery. Babarinde, alongside his company, Ajays Engineering Limited, and one Suleiman Muhammed (currently at large), faced an eight-count charge before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin. The charges brought against the defendants revolve around allegations of obtaining money under false pretences, specifically by deceiving the complainant into believing that they were funding and executing…
In a significant development highlighting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) relentless pursuit of justice, a 56-year-old car dealer, Rasaq Abolaji Mumini, and Mrs Lawal Olawande Mariam have been arraigned before Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin of the Oyo State High Court for their alleged involvement in a N13.5 million property fraud. The Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC brought charges against Mumini and Mrs. Mariam for purportedly selling a forfeited property without due authorization and obtaining money under false pretences. The case, which unfolded on Monday, February 5, 2024, sheds light on the intricate web of deceit and unlawful transactions.…
In a high-profile trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja, new revelations have emerged in the alleged N10 billion money laundering case involving Ali Bello and Dauda Suleiman. A prosecuting witness, known as Pw3, recently took the stand, shedding light on Suleiman’s purported business dealings. Rabiu Musa Tafada, a Bureau de Change Operator and owner of Rabiu Tafada Global Ventures located in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, provided crucial testimony on Tuesday, February 6, 2024. Tafada revealed that Suleiman was a regular client at his bureau de change office, often engaging in transactions related to the exchange of dollars. Led…
Justice Mojisola Dada, presiding over the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has adjourned further proceedings in the trial of Mamman Nasir Ali and Christian Taylor, accused in an N2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud case. The trial is now scheduled to resume on March 25, 2024, following a recent hearing on Friday, February 2, 2024. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Lagos re-arraigned Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, and Nasaman Oil Services Limited on March 24, 2023. The charges, amended to a 49-count indictment, encompass allegations of conspiracy to obtain money through false pretence, forgery, and use of…
South African engineer Neo Hutiri has been selected as best of the best after ten years of the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. Hutiri won the Africa Prize in 2019 and last night was awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering’s 10th anniversary medal, beating nine previous Africa Prize alumni from Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana and Cameroon. The medal comes with more than a million rand (UK £50,000) to boost his business, Technovera, which makes Pelebox Smart Lockers to improve access to medication for chronic diseases, including tuberculosis and HIV. The two runners-up for the medal were Kenya-based Nigerian Aisha Raheem, with Farmz2u, a…
Over £1 million invested in African innovators as Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation reaches 10th anniversary Royal Academy of Engineering celebrates the 10th anniversary of the prestigious Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation with a medal awarded by HRH The Princess Royal. The medal is one of 35 anniversary grants, prizes, and accelerator programme awards, together worth over £1 million, being invested in African innovators solving key development challenges on the continent. The Africa Prize has supported almost 150 entrepreneurs across 23 African countries, generating over 28,000 jobs and benefitting more than 10 million people through the…
RivExcel, a leading player in global business solutions, has officially entered into a transformative strategic partnership with American Hospital Dubai, solidifying a commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility across Sub-Saharan Africa, even as American Hospital Dubai opens three medical tourism offices in Nigeria endorsed by Dubai health authority as part of 30-office expansion in Africa and Eastern Europe. A statement made available to news platforms by Mr. Wabiye Idoniboyeobu, media consultant to RivExcel noted that “American Hospital Dubai confirmed this while announcing the opening of its three medical tourism representative offices in Nigeria in 2024 as part of an expansion plan…
In the past 30 years, we have fought for our lives. Like a people pushed to the wall, our fight was for life or death. We recorded victories but we have most certainly been unable to celebrate our successes because they haven’t come with the ultimate joy and freedom we seek. Despite its high costs in human lives and material resources, we defeated the vicious war of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), significantly halting the rate at which our environment was being polluted, establishing our identity as a distinct ethnic nationality in Nigeria and brought the…
Tracka, BudgIT’s service delivery promotion platform, which allows citizens to collaborate, track, and give feedback on public projects in their communities, has uncovered a total of N9.3 billion paid by the Federal Ministry of Works to FIMS Microfinance Bank Ltd. between June and December 2023 for 62 projects, including the construction of road projects across the country, amongst others. Some of these projects, as revealed on the Govspend platform, include the payment of N1.4 billion in September 2023 for the construction of Yaba-Yangoje Road in the Federal Capital Territory; the payment of N1.2 billion in October 2023 for the rehabilitation…
Bubbling under Nigerian-born, Montreal, QC-grown and Regina, Saskatchewan-based Afropop singer ADEOLUWA returns with cinematic new single “4,5,6.” Defined by a sleek guitar riff and heartfelt lyricism, “4,5,6” is an ultrasmooth ballad in the same irresistible love-struck vein of early 2000s R&B. Influenced by a wide variety of artists ranging from Tina Turner to Adekunle Gold to Stevie Wonder, ADEOLUWA refers to his unique, genre-bending sound as experimental Afro-fusion. The result is a musical style that transcends borders and a deeply personal, high-energy stage presence that’s earned him the nickname “The Greatest Showman” within the DIY Saskatchewan scene. 2019 saw the…