The 56th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) came to an end August 26, in Port Harcourt with the bar making pronouncements on major issues of national importance. One of the new commitments as articulated by the new President of the Association, Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, is to reinvent the association by reclaiming its moral high ground through a campaign for ethical rectitude by members of the bar. “The NBA under my watch will fight judicial corruption. We shall make the legal profession unattractive for corrupt lawyers,” he said. This is reassuring considering the evidence that senior…
Author: Kunle Edun
The UK Department for International Development (DFID) has expressed the readiness to collaborate with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-graft agencies in the country towards ridding the country of corruption and economic and financial crimes. During a presentation by the group at the Commission’s head office in Abuja, on Monday, August 29, 2016, Oliver Blake, Team Lead, Governance and Social Development, explained that the project titled “Anti-Corruption in Nigeria” (ACORN) would revolve around ‘‘Sanction, Society and System’’ . The project coordinator, Ekanem Bassey said the project would examine financial accountability in the public sector as well…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called on youths all over the country to shun acts of corruption, criminality and militancy. EFCC’s Zonal Head in the South-South, Mr. Ishaq Salihu made the call in Port Harcourt last week while receiving officials of the National Patriotic Forum of Nigeria, PATFON. Salhu observed that, corruption was responsible for the low living standard of many Nigerians and urged youths to team up with the EFCC in the fight against the menace. “Say no to crime, criminality and militancy. If there is no criminality, then you can walk the street freely, he…
Malachy Ugwumadu, a Legal Luminary and Human Right Activist, has added his voice to the clarion call on the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to bury the thought of divesting the prosecutorial powers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Mr Abubakar Mahmoud, in his inaugural speech as the NBA President at the weekend in Port Harcourt, had advocated for divesting of the prosecutorial powers of the EFCC as he said that the Commission should be limited to investigation alone. But Ugwumadu who was speaking on a TVC News television programme, titled: “ANTI-GRAFT WAR: EFCC-TO PROSECUTE OR NOT” on August…
In recognition of his professional worthiness, the governing council of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Abuja chapter, on August 4, has conferred the Fellowship Award of the association on the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu. While presenting Magu with the Fellowship Award letter in Abuja, the leader of the delegation, Abdullahi B.Yahaya, CNA, said, “We are here this afternoon to rejoice with our able colleague who the ANAN governing council has approved and granted a Fellowship Award of our noble profession.” Yahaya, who stated that the award ceremony would hold on October 3 and…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called on the management of the Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research, Lagos to join hands with it in the fight against corruption and economic crimes. The call came on the heels of an anti-corruption sensitization programme organised by the Commission for the staff of the institute on Thursday, August 4, 2016. Speaking at the event, which featured lectures and interactive sessions on corruption prevention strategies as well as work place ethics, the Head of Enlightenment and Orientation, EFCC, Hajia Larai Musa, spoke on the history and structure of the Commission. Musa,…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed that some unscrupulous members of the public have been defrauding unsuspecting Nigerians in the on-going recruitment exercise by the Commission. The modus operandi of the scammers is to request for applications from job-seeking Nigerians and later inform the applicants to pay N49,000 (Forty Nine Thousand Naira Only) as processing fee. Thereafter, the “successful candidates” were asked to pay another N48,000 (Forty Eight Thousand Naira Only) into an account for accommodation and transportation. A poorly written appointment letter purportedly from a non-existent office of Director General, Ibrahim Lamorde and dated 03/07/2016, sent to one Ubong…
The ring leader of an international criminal network behind thousands of online frauds has been arrested in a joint operation by INTERPOL and the Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC). The 40-year-old Nigerian national, known as ‘Mike’, is believed to be behind scams totalling more than USD 60 million involving hundreds of victims worldwide. In one case a target was conned into paying out USD 15.4 million. The network compromised email accounts of small to medium businesses around the world including in Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, Romania, South Africa, Thailand and the US, with the financial victims mainly other companies…
Samuel Sunday Ovute, a businessman and owner of Obuegu & Sons Enterprises, was arraigned on Monday, 25th July by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two count charge bordering on issuance of dud cheques and obtaining by false pretence the sum of One Million, Six Hundred and Sixty Two Thousand, Four Hundred Naira (N1,662,400.00, before Justice K.I Okpe of the Enugu State High Court, Enugu. It was alleged by a petitioner, that sometime in 2015, Ovute, a businessman who deals in liquor, fraudulently and with intent to defraud, issued Fidelity bank cheques with face value of Nine Hundred and Fourteen Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty Naira (N914,380.00) and…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Office, has arrested five suspected undergraduate scammers. Four from the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) and one from Adekunle Ajashin University, Akungba (AAUA). They were picked up at an Off-Campus Residence located at Anuoluwapo Close, Stateline Hotel Road, off FUTA South Gate, Akure, Ondo State. They suspects who are between the ages of 20 and 23 include: Adeleke Paul (21), Adebiyi Tayo Abudu (22), Akinsanmi Olusola Adeniyi (21), Ogundile Ademola James (23) and Okali Ugochukwu (21). The Commission got wind of their activities through series of gathered intelligence. Paul and…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the leave of a Kano High Court sitting Kano, to arraign the duo of Saminu Umar Ta’ambu and Ahmed Maiturare of the popular kantin kwari textile market, Kano for offences bordering on obtaining by false pretence. They allegedly used the name of Kano State government to induce a Swiss National, Mathias Hee, Owner of Okutex Ag, into supplying them with fabrics worth Five Hundred and Thirty Thousand US Dollars ($530,000) Justice Dije Aboki gave the nod after hearing argument on the application for leave to prefer charge against the suspects by…
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has said it will immediately appeal the ruling of a Federal Capital Territory High Court which today granted bail to one Abiodun Agbele, a suspect who is being investigated by the Commission for a range of alleged criminal infractions bordering on fraud and money laundering. Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, in a ruling which the Commission described as “shocking” today offered bail to Agbele and ordered the EFCC to pay the suspect N5 million as compensation for unlawful detention. The judge claimed that the failure of the EFCC to charge Mr. Agbele to court, since…
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, has returned the corruption case file of a former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, to Justice A.R. Mohammed and ordered him to continue presiding over the case. Suswam is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) along with his Commissioner of Finance, Okolobia Okpanachi, on a nine-count charge bordering on conspiracy, abuse of office and diversion of state funds to the tune of N3.1 billion. It would be recalled that Justice Mohammed had on June 6, 2016 handed off the case, and informed the court…
The President of the Association of Forensic and Investigation Auditors, Victoria Enape, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to sustain its assistance in training of its members on the practical aspect of forensic auditing with a view to effectively tackle corruption in Nigeria. Enape made the call on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 when she led other members of the Association on a courtesy visit to the Acting Chairman, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, at the Commission’s Head Office, Abuja. “The Commission has all it takes to provide the needed support to meet the modern day challenge in tracking…
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday, July 18 granted bail to Olugbenga Obadina, managing director, Almond Projects Limited who allegedly collected money to the tune of N2.4billion from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, under Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) purportedly for a phony contract. He was arraigned on Friday July 15, 2016 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside his company, Almond Projects Limited on an eight-count charge for allegedly collecting a sum of N2,417,000,000.00 (two billion, four hundred and seventeen million naira), paid into his company’s account…
Olugbenga Obadina alongside his company, Almond Projects Limited, was arraigned on Friday July 15 by The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on an eight-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering to the tune of N2.4billion. Obadina allegedly collected a sum of N2, 417, 000,000.00 (two billion, four hundred and seventeen million naira), paid into his company’s account in tranches, between 2013 and 2015 from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, under Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) without…
Mr. Ibrahim Magu, the Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has identified religion as veritable means of tackling corruption and other social vices in Nigeria. Magu made this observation on Monday, July 18, 2016 while receiving members of the Interfaith Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee (IAAC) who were at the Commission’s Head Office to brief him on their activities. The EFCC boss called for collaboration between the Committee, the EFCC and the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, PACAC, to effectively use religion as a platform in preaching against the ills of corruption. “Every religion abhors corruption. Therefore, there is…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Zonal Office in Ibadan is on the trail of a suspected ATM fraudster, who goes by the name Akinade Tofunmi. The suspect is currently on the prowl, targeting possible victims in ATM Points and Point of Sales (POS) machines across the country. In her last operation, Tofunmi who operates with the identity of her victims raked in about N3million within 24 hours. One of the methods employed by the suspected fraudster is to politely approach people having difficulty using the ATM and offering to help, only to dupe them after obtaining their personal…
The Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has called on legal practitioners to join hands with the Commission in its bid to free Nigeria of corruption. He gave this charge on Tuesday, July 12, 2016 at the opening of a one-day workshop organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in collaboration with the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACC) at the Rockview Hotel, Abuja. According to Magu, the EFCC cannot stamp out corruption in the country without the support of all stakeholders. “We consider everybody a stakeholder, as the EFCC does not have monopoly of knowledge…
The outgoing United States Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency James Entwistle has commended the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu for the vigour he has brought to the fight against corruption in Nigeria. He said the best part of his time in Nigeria was strengthening cooperation with law enforcement agencies especially the EFCC. “It is in our interest to see Nigerian law enforcement capacity grow… It is not enough to complaint about things. We have to help our friends… I am proud of the EFCC and privileged to be of some help”, he said.…