The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday, July 7, 2017 arraigned a former acting Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Prof. Anthony Elujoba and the University Bursar, Mrs. Aderonke Akeredolu before Justice A. D. Oladimeji of the Osun State High Court sitting in Ede on a 7-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and using position for gratification. The defendants, however pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them In view of their plea, prosecution counsel, Festus Ojo prayed the court for a trial date and to remand the defendants in prison custody. The defense counsel…
Author: Kunle Edun
Reprieve came the way of a former Caretaker Chairman of Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi State House Gabriel Daudu as the Supreme Court yesterday Thursday, July 6, 2017 granted bail to convicted council boss. Daudu, who was also a member of the State House of Assembly, was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on charges bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N1.4billion. He was found guilty by a Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja of 77 out of 208 counts and consequently sentenced to two years on each of…
The Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, July 6, 2017 and presided over by Justice J. O. Abdul Malik granted bail to a former Minister of FCT, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, who is standing trial over N650million allegedly collected during the 2015 general election. Others granted bails alongside Akinjide are Senator Ayo Ademola Adeseun and Olanrewaju Otiti, both chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The defendants are being prosecuted on an amended 12-count charge bordering on money laundering. At the sitting today, Akinjide’s counsel informed the court that they had a pending bail application praying the…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday, July 6, 2017, arraigned the duo of Ejere Kelvin Chris and Edoma Omagha before Justice A. M. Nicol-Clay of the State High Court sitting in Igbosere, Lagos on a 10-count charge bordering on conspiracy and forgery to the tune of N7.3billion (Seven Billion, Three Hundred Million Naira). The accused were charged alongside Kehinde Eliot Ogbor, Danium Energy Services Limited, Sibet Oil Services Limited, Loveth Miyemi Ogbor and Rhombi Energy limited, who are all at large. Danium Energy Services Limited allegedly approached the petitioner, Fidelity Bank Plc, between January 17 and February 9,…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday, July 6, 2017 arraigned one Jonathan Isikwei before Justice M. B. Idris of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a 15-count charge bordering on possession of counterfeit currencies to the tune of CAD $17,500 (Seventeen Thousand Five Hundred Canadian Dollars) and USD $14,300 (Fourteen Thousand, Three Hundred American Dollars). The defendant, Isikwei, was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on September 18, 2015 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos for unlawful possession of 448 pieces of traveler cheques, while he was aboard a Lufthansa…
Justice Silvanus Orji of the FCT High Court sitting in Apo has adjourned to October 24, 2017, hearing of the N735million subsidy fraud case involving two directors of Origin Oil and Gas Limited – Adegbite Adetoye and Ponnle Abiodun. The judge at today’s sitting also granted two separate applications by I. O. Olorundare, SAN, and K. K. Eleja, SAN representing Adetoye and Abiodun respectively. The first application, dated June 23, 2017 by Olorundare is seeking an order directing the EFCC to release Adetoye’s passport, while also asking for leave of the court to enable him travel abroad for medicals. Similarly,…
Tthe Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos and presided over by Justice Mojisola Olatoregun today Wednesday, July 5, 2017 dismissed the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Robert Azibaola, a cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Azibaola, through his counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, had contended that the EFCC had no right under Sections 293 and 294 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, to detain him. In the suit, Azibaola claimed that the Sections are for capital offences for which a legal advice from the Attorney-General is required before a charge…
A prosecution witness, Babatunde Adenekan in the case involving Ibrahim Abdulsalam, a former Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and others on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 told Justice Babs O. Kuewumi of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos how the defendants allegedly diverted the sum of N473,250,927 (Four Hundred and Seventy-three Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty- seven Naira) from the agency’s accounts. Abdulsalam, alongside Nnamdi Udoh (still at large), Adegorite Olumuyiwa, Agbolade Segun, Clara Aliche, Joy Ayodele Adegorite, Randville Invesment Limited and Multeng Travels and Tours Limited are facing trial on…
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, on July 5, 2017 admitted documents tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing trial of Jide Omokore, the embattled chairman of Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited, Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited, for a $1.6 billion fraud. The documents, which include Internal Memos from the Group Managing Director (GMD), National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and letters from the NNPC to the Director, Banking and Payment Department of the Joint Ventures Companies, and Payment Schedules, were admitted and…
Hearing in the ongoing trial of Joseph Nwobike, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, continued on July 4, 2017, before Justice Raliat Adebiyi of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) giving a blow-by-blow account of how the senior lawyer allegedly offered gratification to judicial officers and perverted the course of justice. At the resumed sitting on Tuesday, counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, via a projector mounted within the courtroom showed details of the SMS text messages between Nwobike and one Baruwa, a judicial officer. While addressing the court, Oyedepo stated…
The Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna and presided over by Justice S. M. Shuaibu on July 4, 2017 dismissed an application by Abdullahi Dikko Inde, former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, urging the court to vacate its earlier interim order of forfeiture in favour of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). It would be recalled that, the EFCC had on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 recovered seventeen exotic vehicles in a warehouse of the former Comptroller-General of Customs located at Nnamdi Azikwe Street, Kaduna. The recovery was sequel to an intelligence report the Commission received that stolen…
The Federal Capital Territory High Court presided over by Justice Y. Halilu in Jabi on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 ordered one Ibrahim Kamba, a suspected land racketeer, to pay the sum of N15,000 as fine to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for delaying trial. Kamba was arraigned on March 23, 2017 on one-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence. He was alleged to have been involved in a land scam to the tune of N7million. The case, which was initially slated for March 27, 2017 for commencement of trial, has suffered several adjournments due to the…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, October 27, 2016 arraigned one Moses Godia Shipi, managing director, La Shipson Construction Nigeria Limited before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusufu of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N6.5million. Shippi allegedly conspired with one Harrison Ogar Job (at large) to defraud one Abiola Jacobs of Delmac Nigeria Limited of the said sum under the pretext that he had a contract for the supply of crude oil from the Nigerian National Petroluem Corporation, to Ghana. The…
Justice Tukur Mu’azu of Kaduna State High Court has convicted and sentenced the immediate past sole Administrator of Kaura Local Government, Kaduna State, Ibrahim Akut Baba to seven years imprisonment without option of fine for offences bordering on obtaining money by false pretence. The convict was arraigned before Justice Mu’azu on January 7, 2016 on allegation of defrauding one Alhaji Auwal Ibrahim of Rahusa Investment Limited, Sabon Hunkuyi, Kaduna state sometime in 2011, over a phony gas supply contract. The victim allegedly paid the convict N1million for the supply of five trucks of gas at the rate of N200,000 per truck.…
Justice U.N Agomoh of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State has convicted and sentenced to one and half years imprisonment, a former Director General of Delta State Direct Labour Agency, Mr. Emmanuel Odafe Igbini. The sentence is without an option of fine. Igbini’s journey to prison began when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arraigned him on a three-count charge in November 2014, for failing to make full disclosure of assets comprising his Naira account with Stanbic IBTC Bank, US Dollar Account and his daughter’s account with same bank. He pleaded not guilty to the three- count…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 26, 2016 arraigned the quartet of Tamuno Tonye Ogolo, Donald Ndifreke Dickson, Godspower Chukwudi Okoro and TamGold Energy Services before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on a 5-count charge of criminal conspiracy, forgery and obtaining by false pretence. It was alleged that Okoro, in connivance with other accused persons sometime in September 2015, contacted one Bloom Faith Petroleum Limited, and promised to supply the company with crude oil through a vessel, MT OCEAN LILY. After series of negotiations, the complainant, Bloom Faith, allegedly paid…
The Vice President of Industrial Global Union, Comrade Issa Aremu, on Monday, October 24, 2016 identified corruption as a crime against humanity which required concerted efforts of all Nigerians to fight and defeat. He made the remark while playing host to the acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, who visited the Textile Labour House, Kaduna. Comrade Aremu who is also the General Secretary of the Textile Workers’ Union said that there was a linkage between the collapse of many industries in the country and systematic corruption, citing “addictive waivers” granted by some corrupt ministry officials in…
A driver identified as Chinwoke Onyedinazu was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice M. A. Liman of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for duping a Briton, Paul H., the sum of One Hundred and Eighty Two Thousand, Sixty Four Pounds, Ninety Nine Shillings (182,064.99). He was docked on a nine-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretense. Onyedinazu was a former driver of Mr. Paul while he was residing in Nigeria. In 2014, Onyedinazu reportedly proposed a fish farming business to the Briton and the latter accepted the proposal. He later…
Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on Friday, October 21, 2016 granted the application brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking the consolidation of the two separate criminal charges against former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and others with respect to their involvement in the infamous N2.1billion arms scam. Dasuki (first defendant) alongside Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director, Finance and Administration, Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA; Aminu Babakusa, a former General Manager, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation; Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited are being prosecuted…
The North East Zonal Head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Maiduguri, Borno State, Ibrahim Bappa on Thursday, October 20, 2016 disclosed that a sum of N196,670.000.00 (one hundred and ninety-six million, six hundred and seventy thousand naira) had been recovered by the anti-graft agency in the zone. He added that another sum of N2.8million had also been recovered from individuals as a result of petitions received and acted on. Bappa made this disclosure at the zone’s media briefing in Maiduguri. According to him, the Maiduguri zonal office which was commissioned on the 22nd March, 2010 was closed…