Author: Kunle Edun

Justice Alexanda Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Monday, July 21, 2025, convicted and sentenced the duo of Damelda Damilola Sodiq and Samuel Paul Osayande to one year imprisonment each for cybercrime. They were arrested recently in the Ipaja Command area of Lagos by operatives of the EFCC, following credible intelligence on the activities of some internet fraudsters.   Investigations revealed that each of the defendants had three bank accounts domiciled in United Bank of Africa (UBA), Opay and Moniepoint, in addition to several email accounts , which they used to defraud their unsuspecting victims.  They were…

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Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State has convicted and sentenced 10 internet fraudsters to various jail terms. The convicts are; Onyekwulu Lawrence Obiajulu, Onyedikachi Favour Eze, Olisa Philemon Olijo, Okafor Shedrack Chidindu, Ogbodo Chisom Ugochukwu, Nweke Godswill Chinemerem, Oseloka Ogo Patrick, Nnaji Pascal Chijioke, Chibueze Obumneme Frank-Gabriel and Ibekwe Jonathan. They were prosecuted by the Enugu zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on separate charges, bordering on impersonation, possession of fraudulent documents and money laundering. One of the charges against Olijo reads: “That you, Olisa Philemon Olijo sometime in…

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Justice Maurin Oyetenu of the Federal High Court sitting  in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has convicted and sentenced three internet fraudsters to various jail terms. They were jailed on Monday,  July 21, 2025 after pleading guilty to separate count charges bordering on internet fraud upon their arraignment by the  Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.  The convicts  are Emmanuel  Okwa, Felix Akaninyene Tom and Ubok Ubong Edet. One of the charge reads: “that you, Emmanuel Okwa (aka Jennifer Aniston) “M” sometime in 2024, in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fraudulently presented yourself…

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The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of Otitoju Moses Sesan, Ayodele Joseph Daisi, Adeoye Joseph, Abubakar Aliyu Abdulmalik, Emeka Oluwatobi Achi, Isaac Babalola Oluwafemi, Afolabi Faith Olatoye, Zubeiru Zubeiru Junior, and Abdulkadir Taofeek before Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court and Justices Haleema Saleeman and Sulaiman Akanbi of the Kwara State High Court, all sitting in Ilorin. Sesan, a 31-year-old gospel, Daisi, Joseph and Abdulmalik were prosecuted before Justice Awogboro. Achi, Oluwafemi, Olatoye were prosecuted before Justice Justice Saleeman, while Junior and Taofeek were prosecuted before Justice Akanbi. Their crimes border on internet fraud, impersonation, conspiracy and retention of proceeds of unlawful activities. The one of the charges against Sesan reads: “That you, Otitoju Moses Sesan, sometime between October 2024 and December 2025, within the…

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The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,   Mr. Ola Olukoyede has charged youths in the country to take ownership of the fight against internet fraud for a cleaner and safer financial space and socio-economic development of the nation. He gave the charge through the Acting Director of the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC,  ACE I Hauwa Garba Ringim at the South-west Youth Multi – Stakeholders Security Summit, organized by the Coalition of Nigeria Youth on Security and Safety Affairs (CONYSSA), on Thursday, July 17, 2025 in Osogbo, Osun State. Olukoyede, in his keynote address themed, “Uniting South-west Youths in…

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The First Prosecution Witness, PW1, in the trial of Halima Buba and Innocent Mbagwu on Thursday, July 17, 2025 narrated before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja how the defendants routed multi-millions dollars in cash through him for transfers. Both defendants, who are Managing Director/Chief Executive and Chief Compliance Officer of SunTrust Bank Ltd, respectively are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a six-count charge, bordering on money laundering to the tune of $12 million.  The witness, a bureau de change operator while being led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Ekele Iheanacho,…

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Justice D.E. Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, July 17, 2025, convicted and sentenced one Aleburu Elvis to two years imprisonment. Elvis was arrested recently at the Abule Egba area of Lagos by operatives of the EFCC, following credible intelligence on the activities of some internet fraudsters.  He was arraigned on Thursday on one -count charge bordering on cybercrime by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The count reads: “ That you, Aleburu Elvis, sometime 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently held…

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , EFCC, Uyo Zonal Directorate, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, secured the conviction and sentence of seven internet fraudsters before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court , Calabar, Cross River State. The convicts are: Victor Ekwonwa, Chukwudi Iwueke, Mbam Alexander, Ugorji Emmanuel, Joseph Ekwere Tom, Eze Daniel, and David Okeke. They were arraigned on one-count separate charges bordering on obtaining under pretence and money laundering.    The charge against Tom  reads; “That you, Joseph Ekwere Tom, sometime in 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did take possession and control of…

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Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday, July 17, 2025, struck out an application by the former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, for the release of his passport to enable him travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting Bello alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu before Justice Anineh on a 16-count charge, bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of N110.4 billion. At the last sitting, Bello, through his counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, had made an application, dated June 19, 2025 and filed on June 20, 2025, praying…

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A former Acting Accountant General of the Federation, AGF, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 failed to meet up with his promise of filing a no- case submission in his trial before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja and begged for more time. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,  is prosecuting Nwabuoku on a nine-count amended charge, bordering on money laundering to the tune of N868, 465,000 (Eight Hundred and Sixty-eight Million, Four Hundred and Sixty-five Thousand Naira). The defendant, who had at the last sitting of the court promised through his lawyer,…

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Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal High Court, sitting in Apo, Abuja, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, admitted additional evidence from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against a former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye. Agunloye is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on seven-count charges, bordering on official corruption and fraudulent award of Mambilla Power Project contract to the tune of $6billion (Six Billion US Dollars). The additional evidence are an investigation report of the Mambila HydroElectric Power Project, the defendant awarded to Sunrise Power &Transmission Company Limited and a warrant of arrest on Jide Sotinri. They were marked “Exhibit…

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The Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, July 14, 2025 arraigned one Muhammad Yaqub Ramat before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri.The defendant was arraigned on a two- count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation to the tune of N5,000,000.00(Five Million Naira). The charge reads: “That you, Muhammad Yaqub Ramat with National Identification Number 22537195891 sometimes in 2024 whilst being the manager of Salam and Sabur Filling Station at Maiduguri Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court,  dishonestly misappropriated and converted to your own use the aggregate sum…

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Justices Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin and   Sulaiman Akanbi and Haleema Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court have convicted and sentenced  five internet fraudsters to various jail terms. The convicted persons are Ayinla Abiodun Abdulmajid, Yusuf Abdulazeez Onimisi, Muhammed Zayad Eneye, Abdulbasit Abdulmumeen, and Victor Onucheyo Anibe. They were arraigned on separate charges by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the  EFCC. Specifically, Abdulmajid,  Onimisi and Eneye were jailed by Justice Awogboro while Abdulmumeen and Anibe were jailed  by Justices Akanbi and  Saleeman of the Kwara respectively.  The charge against  Abdulmajid reads: “That you, AYINLA…

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The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede has stated that anyone without integrity cannot fight corruption in the country. He stated this recently when  students of Igbinedion University, Edo State came on a study visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. Olukoyede who was represented by the Head of Public Interface of the Public Affairs Department, Assistant Commander of the EFCC,  ACE I Tony Orilade noted that Nigeria was hugely endowed with resources but that the evil of corruption has reduced it to a poor country. “You have no place in anti-corruption fight if you lack integrity. For Nigeria to be redeemed, we all have to do the right thing…

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The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, charged the Designated Non Financial Business and Professionals, DNFBPs, not to compromise the fight against anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) mechanisms by failing to protect their entities from being used for financial crimes.   He made the charge at the opening ceremony of a two -day workshop for the sensitization of DNFBPs on their compliance obligations under the Anti- Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Regime with the theme: Effective Implementation of Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the…

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As part of efforts to curb electoral fraud and financial crimes, operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,  Lagos were deployed to local governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos where the State’s local government elections were held on Saturday, July 12, 2023.  The monitoring operations aimed to prevent any form of voter’s inducement such as vote buying, vote selling, or other manipulations that violate the Electoral Act. Earlier, while addressing the officers assigned to monitor the electoral process, , the Acting Zonal Director, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2,  Assistant Commander…

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Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  EFCC, Uyo Zonal Directorate, have  arrested six suspected  internet fraudsters at Ekamba and Ekpri Nsukara areas of Nwaniba, in Akwa Ibom State. Four of the suspects were arrested at Ekamba Nsukara, while the other two were apprehended at Ekpri Nsukara. The intelligence -driven arrest led to the recovery of the following items, eight mobile phones and two laptops. The suspects will be charged to court soon.  Media & Publicity July 12, 2025 Credit: EFCC Nigeria

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Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, July 11, 2025, ordered the final forfeiture of two properties, several cars and cash to the Federal Government of Nigeria.   The properties are: one unit of three-bedroom bungalow in Abuja; No. 8, Grace Crescent, Efab Queens Estate, Gwarimpa FCT, Abuja; one Mercedes Benz C300; one gray- coloured BMW 3 Series SUV; one Black coloured  Range Rover 2012; three Toyota Hilux of 2008, 2010 and 2014 models; one black coloured  BMW SURXI 2016 and two Range Rover vehicle.   Others consist of a cash sum of ₦326,400,000 (Three…

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Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Friday, July 11, 2025 adjourned till July 23, 2025 for ruling on the no case submission of the former Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam.  Suswam, the first defendant alongside, his Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia are facing an 11-count amended charge for allegedly diverting N3.1 billion, been part of proceeds from the sales of the state government’s shares held on its behalf by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited through  Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited. At the proceedings, counsel to the first and second defendant, Chenelu Ogbozor and Paul Erokoro, SAN informed the court of their application for…

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Justice O.A. Fadipe of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has convicted and sentenced one Abdulrahman Murphy Usifo to 50 hours community service for possession of fraudulent documents. He was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Okotie-Eboh, Ikoyi, Lagos, on a one -count charge bordering on possession of fraudulent documents and cybercrimes. The count reads: “ ABDULRAHMAN MURPHY USIFO, on or about the 27th May, 2025 in Lagos, within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court, with a dishonest intent, had in your possession Gmail account titled “Remittance of…

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