The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos and presided over by Justice Mohammed Idris has convicted and sentenced a serial fraudster, Hope Olusegun Aroke, to six years imprisonment on an amended three-count charge for failure to declare his interest in some properties in the Declaration of Assets Form administered on him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Count one reads: “That you, Hope Olusegun Aroke, on or about the 11th day of December 2012 in the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, knowingly failed to declare your interest in the Mercedes Benz Jeep G55 (G-Wagon)…
Author: Kunle Edun
Two witnesses have been presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 in a case of N65 million fraud involving two former staff of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) in Borno State, Mahmud Deji Sambo and Mohammed Saleh Kasim. Sambo and Kasim, who have their aliases as Ardo Hamajam and Babagana Saleh, respectively, are facing trial on an eight-count charge of conspiracy, uttering of documents and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N61million before Justice M. T. Salihu of the Federal High Court, Maiduguri. In one of the counts, Sambo,…
Operatives at the Lagos Zonal Office of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have disclosed the arrest of four suspected Internet fraudsters who are Oluwaseun Michael, 28; Igbokwe Chijioke, 27; Felix Chukwudi, 22 and Babajide Goloba. They were arrested on September 30, 2017 in different parts of Lagos, following intelligence report. The suspects are alleged to have defrauded their victims, who are mostly American and European citizens, millions of Dollars. The suspects, who are school drop-outs, have confessed involvement in romance/ marriage scam, Internet advertisement scam, spoofing of emails and interception of business mails. Investigation reveals that the suspects, who…
Senator Joshua Dariye’s new counsel, Kanu Agabi, SAN yesterday finally closed the case of the defence, bringing to a closure a defence that began on June 10, 2016. Agabi who was used by Dariye to replace G.S. Pwul, SAN, his former counsel who withdrew in March, told Justice Adebukola Banjoko, that the defence was ready to address the court. “My lord, I am pleased to inform your lordship that we are closing the case for the defence and will like to address you,” Agabi said. The prosecution, led by O.A. Atolagbe, raised no objections. “We have no objection to that,…
The Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere presided over by Justice Adedayo Akintoye, last Friday, October 6, 2017 dismissed an application filed by Justice Hyeladzira Ajiya Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Bayelsa Division, seeking a stay of proceedings in a case of unlawful enrichment to the tune of $ 260,000 and N8.65million (about N81, 705,000) preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). At the last adjourned sitting, Nganjiwa was granted bail on self-recognition after he pleaded not guilty to the 14-count charge. Counsel to the accused, Chief Robert Clarke, SAN, had filed a motion…
A prosecution witness, Bilikisu Mohammed, in the ongoing trial of former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, and three others have been convicted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday, October 4, 2017 revealed how funds accrued from the ill-fated recruitment exercise conducted by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on March 17, 2013 was spent by Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited, the company contracted to provide online enlistment and e-recruitment services by the Interior Ministry. The exercise was carried out in a negligent manner leading to the death of…
Prof. Benjamin Adefemi Ogunbodede, a former Director-General, Institute of Agriculture Research and Training (IART), Ibadan, Oyo State has been convicted through Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday October 3, 2017 by Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State. Ogunbodede was prosecuted alongside the trio of Zacheaus Tejumola, Adenose Clement and Jalekun Omotowoju on a 17-count charge bordering on conspiracy, misappropriation and diversion of funds to the tune of N177 million. Trouble started for the convicts following a petition dated December 17, 2012 written by the Academic staff Union of the institute, alleging that…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday, October 3, 2017 vehemently objected to a motion to stall the ongoing trial of Muhammad Belgore, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, before Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos. Belgore, a governorship candidate during the 2011 Kwara State gubernatorial election, is standing trial alongside Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, a former Minister for National Planning, for allegedly receiving the sum of N450m on March 27, 2015 out of the $115,010,000 paid into A new generation bank by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke. At the resumed…
The Director at Vice-Minister Level of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Inspection Tours of the Communist Party of China (CPC), L.I. Xiaohong, has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its unrelenting effort to fight corruption to a standstill in Nigeria. Xiaohong, who led a delegation to the EFCC Headquarters, September 8, 2017 said, “We have heard a lot about your efforts in the fight against corruption and commend you for your doggedness in ensuring that you kick corruption out of Nigeria.” While expressing his delight to be involved with the anti-graft agency’s efforts, he…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has debunked the news trend which portrayed that the Anti-graft agency has lost the battle against corruption. This was contained in the release published on EFCC’s website which is re-published below: The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been drawn to an article by veteran columnist, Sonala Olumhense entitled, As EFCC Confesses the Sad Truth, which was syndicated in print and online media on Sunday, September 3, 2017. The piece dwelt extensively on two heads of strategic agencies in the Muhammadu Buhari administration – the chief of army staff,…