The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU has received special commendation for its commitment to the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.The commendation was the highpoint of deliberations at the 21 plenary session of the Inter Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering, GIABA, in Niamey, Niger Republic, where Nigeria was rated first among 16 member states for the FIU’s compliance with the FATF 40 + 9 Recommendations using the Mutual Evaluation Reports, MERs, and Follow-up Reports sent to the FATF. This accolade contradicts publication in section of the media alleging that the NFIU had been frozen out of the comity…
Author: Kunle Edun
A Federal High Court sitting in Yenegoa, Balyesa State has convicted three Indian nationals, Sailesh Kumar Singh, (the Captain of the vessel), Chadrashekar Sharma and Ajay Bhatiya, owner of the vessel MT Akshay, (still at large) to fifteen years imprisonment for offenses that borders on oil theft. The convicts were among twelve suspected oil thieves, including eight other Indians, one Ghanaian and a Nigerian arrested aboard MT Akshay by men of the Joint Task Force, Central Naval Command, Yenegoa sometimes November, 2012 and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for further investigation and prosecution. They were arraigned…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned the duo of Nnanna Kalu, 26 and Ukaegbu Arisa Oti, 27, before Justice F. A. Olubanjo of the Federal High Court Umuahia, Abia State on a 28-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and forgery. The two are alleged to be part of a five-man syndicate that defrauded one Michael J. Firm (a South African) of the sum of $60,000 (sixty thousand dollars) under the pretense of registering his company with NAFDAC. The company was to supply the Federal Ministry of Defence with pre-cooked meals in sachets. One of the…
Justice Muhammad Garba Umar of the Federal High Court, Bauchi today convicted an sentenced Ahmad Adamu, a 25-year-old native doctor from Tilden Fulani, Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State to 12 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to a two count charge of obtaining by false pretence brought against him by the Economic and financial Crimes Commission. Adamu allegedly defrauding a hospital worker and resident of Tilden Fulani, Hajia Akilatu Ahmad of a total sum of N500,000 under the pretext that he had mystical powers to make her richSometime in April 2013, Ahmad was said to have called Akilatu…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has faulted the claim by Mr. Godwin Adeolu Dania, former Private Secretary to ex- governor of Edomite State, Mr. Lucky Igbinedion that he was not aware that the former governor took loans or guaranteed some loans for Gava Corporation. At the resumed hearing of the N25b theft charge preferred against the younger brother to the former governor, Michael Igbinedion and six others by the EFCC at the Federal High Court, Benin on May 8, prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, retrieved and re-examined some documents already before the court, to establish that, Dania actually…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on May 5, 2014 arraigned one Enekwechi Raymond Onyimba before the Chief Judge of Enugu State High Court, Justice I. A Uwazulike on a 2- count charge of criminal diversion of fund and obtaining money by false pretence. Onyimba is alleged to have sold a property located at plot 622, Trans-Ekulu, New GRA, Enugu to Enyinnaya Igwe but fraudulently withheld the certificate of occupancy (C of O) to the property valued at thirty million naira and used the said C of O as collateral to secure a loan for his company, Ojaz Nigeria…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday May 5, 2014, arraigned one Lebechi Chinedu, before Justice B.O Quadri of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt on a 2-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence. The accused allegedly collected N10, 500, 000 (Ten Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from one Samuel Johnson in a phony contract deal. The alleged sum was a contract fee for the construction of a block of six classrooms at Etche Local Government Council of Rivers State.According to Samuel, the accused posing as Supervisor for Works in the council claimed he could facilitate…
A former Oyo State Head of Service, Mrs Kudirat Iyabo Adeleke and eleven other suspects implicated in a N5.6Billion pension fraud, were today re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice Adegboye Gbolagunte of Oyo State High Court, Ibadan on charges bordering on conspiracy, stealing and criminal breach of trust. The other persons who were re- arraigned alongside Adeleke are Muili Hakeem Aderemi, former executive secretary, Oyo State Pension Board; Adeduntan Johnson; Oguntayo Banjo, former internal auditor, Oyo State Pension Board, and Kareem Rasheed. Others are: Muili Adedamola; Adesina Jimoh Ayoade, former cashier, Oyo State Pension Board; Adebiyi…
Justice Lawal Akapo of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja on Friday, May 2nd, 2014, told a former managing director of defunct Intercontinental Bank, now Access Bank, Mr. Erastus Akingbola and his associate, Mr Bayo Dada, that they have a case to answer. He therefore dismissed two separate applications filed by the defendants, seeking to quash the N47.1 billion theft charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for lack of merit. In his ruling, Justice Akapo said the duo were charged with stealing, obtaining money by false pretences and receiving stolen property ,which clearly distinguished their…
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, on Tuesday April 29, 2014 charged employees of both public and private institutions to take up the fight against corruption, economic and financial crimes in order to make Nigeria a better society. He made the charge at a one -day sensitization workshop on Anti- corruption organized by the Anti- corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, in conjunction with the EFCC.In his address, Lamorde who was represented by Bolaji Salami, Director, Organisational Support, said the sensitization programme became imperative to assist…