Author: Kunle Edun

Ibrahim Magu, the acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has expressed the readiness of the Commission to assist the Cameroonian government in the area of asset tracking and recovery. Speaking on Wednesday, June 22, 2016 when he received a five-man delegation from Cameroon in his office, Magu said: ‘‘The Commission will be willing to exchange ideas and experiences with your country in necessary areas as you may desire.  I wish to also thank you for your interest in the activities of the Commission.’’ Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Aseh Joseph Malegho, stated that the success story…

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The trio of Dayo Jimoh, Victor Ochola and Obaje Musa Mohammed were yesterday arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice A.R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on a 27-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretense to the tune of N220,000,000 (Two Hundred and Twenty Million Naira). The accused persons allegedly approached the complainant, Mohammed Jibrin, Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Suntrust Savings and Loans Limited, with a promise that they could help him secure some government houses purportedly being sold by the Ad-hoc Committee on sale…

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Justice M. B. Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos State on Monday, June 20 granted bails to former Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa and Iwejuo Joseph Nna (alias Taiwo A. Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah). The accused persons had pleaded not guilty to 23-counts of concealment and retention of proceeds of crime to the tune of over N1,667,162,800.00 (One billion, six hundred and sixty seven million, one hundred and sixty two thousand, eight hundred Naira). The money was allegedly laundered through the accounts of Ebiwise Resources Limited, Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited,…

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One Favour Omeigba Bello was on Monday, June 20 arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Chuka Augustine Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Lagos on 3-count charge bordering on attempt to export counterfeit, possession of counterfeit and forgery. The accused person,  was arrested by officials of the  National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on January 16, 2016 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline’s flight to Dubai and was later transferred to the EFCC for further investigation. Favour was alleged to have in her possession as…

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Ibrahim Magu, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has re-affirmed the Commission’s preparedness to strengthen relationship with Microsoft Nigeria Limited with a view to effectively tackle corruption in Nigeria. He gave this assurance on Tuesday, June 21, 2016 while receiving the country’s representative and managing director of Microsoft Nigeria Limited, Kabelo Makwane who was at the Commission’s Head Office, Abuja on a visit. Magu who stressed the importance of the use of modern technology in fighting all shades of graft said, “we will continue to work with you for mutual interest.” Speaking, Makwane lauded the…

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday docked a former Air Officer Training Command and a member of the Committee for Procurement, Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Alkali Mohammed Mamu before Justice Salisu Garba of the FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on a 3-count charge of bribery. Mamu, while being the Air Officer Training Command and member of Committee for Procurement under the Ministry of Defence, allegedly collected a cash gift in the sum of N5.9million (five million, nine hundred thousand naira) for the purchase of a Range Rover Evoque, $300,000 (three hundred thousand US dollars) and two vehicles…

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The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been drawn to a report entitled “DSS Nabs Member of Presidential Committee on Arms Procurement over Alleged Fraud” which appeared at page 10 of ThisDay newspaper of June 21, 2016, regarding the arrest of Air Commodore Umar Muhammed (rtd.), for alleged fraud. The report, quoting anonymous sources, alleged that Muhammed who is a member of the arms procurement committee is “fronting for some members of the committee”, including “high ranking officials in the EFCC and ONSA”. Though the report falls short of naming the so-called officials that Mohammed is…

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The commencement of a trial-within-trial continued yesterday by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of a Federal High Court, Abuja on the case of a 2 billion naira fraud brought against a former Head of Service (HoS) to the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Oronsaye is being charged along with Osarenkhoe Afe, managing director of Fedrick Hamilton Global Services Limited; Cluster Logistic Limited; Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, and Drew Investment & Construction Company Limited. They are alleged to have committed the fraudulent transactions between 2010 and 2011, using the companies for offences ranging from procurement fraud, to money laundering…

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A motion filed by Azibaola Robert, a cousin to the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has been struck out yesterday by Justice Candid Johnson of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere, Lagos State on grounds of lack of diligent prosecution. Azibaola had lost a similar motion before Justice O. O. Goodluck of the Federal High court sitting in Abuja. After the dismissal of his motion by the Abuja Court, Azibola filed two separate motions before Justice C. M. A Olatoregun of the Federal High Court, Lagos and Justice Candid Johnson of the Lagos High Court asking both courts to restrain…

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The planned arraignment of a former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a N4.9 billion fraud was stalled due to the absence of Justice Sule Hassan of a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos State. Fani-Kayode, is being charged along with a former minister of finance, Nenadi Usman; Danjuma Yusuf, and a company, Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited by the EFCC on a 17-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, corruption and making cash payments exceeding the amount authorized by law. The defendants who were present in court were later taken back to EFCC custody…

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Ibrahim Magu, the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has been lauded for his relentless effort to stamp out corruption and economic crimes from the Nigerian society. He received the commendation yesterday when 400-level undergraduate students of Public Administration and Political Science, Adamawa State University, Yola, visited the EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja. Leader of the delegation, Miyatafadi Pwafeno, who described Magu as a model and a pride to the nation in the anti-graft war, urged Nigerians to support the Commission to tame the monster of corruption and move the country forward. ‘‘The visit is very important in our…

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An aide to former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, Ja’afaru Maliki, was arraigned by The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today along with Vwapamkai Bafyau, director of Rural Access Mobility Project/World Bank; Farouk Abdullahi Tarja, director, Civil Works; James Zarma and Suleiman Mohammed, both deputy permanent secretaries, and Mamman Malgwi, a permanent secretary, before Justice Balkisu Aliyu of a Federal High Court, Yola, Adamawa State. They are facing a nine-count charge bordering on procurement fraud and diversion of funds to the tune of N700 million. The funds were meant for the development of the Yola bye-pass Phase 1 road…

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Justice Fatun Riman of a Federal High Court, Kano, on June 9, 2016 granted the application of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to try a former Skye Bank staff, Yagana Bukar, in absentia on a 10-count charge bordering on money laundering. Bukar was first arraigned in October 2013 and was granted bail. The accused person, however, absconded shortly after the commencement of trial. Prosecuting counsel, M. S. Abubakar, had applied to the court, pursuant to Section 352(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, to continue with the trial despite the absence of the defendant. Abubakar told…

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The acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has charged professional bodies in the country to join hands with the Commission in the fight against corruption and economic crimes. Speaking at a workshop on the “Role of Professionals in the Fight Against Corruption” at the Rockview Hotel, Abuja on Friday, June 17, 2016, he said: “Instead of conniving with people to launder the proceeds of corruption, I beg you to join hands with the EFCC to fight corruption”. “Many professionals celebrate criminality by doing a lot to foster corruption, which adds more to money laundering. I…

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The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Waziri Adio, has expressed the readiness of his agency to collaborate with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in tackling corruption in the Nigeria by reporting serious infractions that violate the country’s constitution. He made this disclosure on Friday, June 17, 2016 during a courtesy visit to the acting Chairman EFCC, Ibrahim Magu at the Commission’s Head Office, Abuja. According to him, “we have an Act that criminalise certain behaviours; if people do not corporate with us, if people do not give us information on time, they are liable…

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An inmate, Usman Umar, was on June 14 arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Idrisa Kolo of the Federal High Court, Kano, on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence. Umar, who is currently serving a four-year jail term for a separate offence for which he was prosecuted by the EFCC, was arraigned for allegedly defrauding Jibrin Umar. He is expected to finish the jail term on June 30, 2016. One of the charges against him reads: “That you Usman Salis Umar sometime in 2013 at Kano within the jurisdiction of the Federal…

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday, June 16 obtained conviction on a case of suspected Money Laundering brought against Samuel Duru before Justice M.N Yinusa of the Federal High Court, Enugu. Duru was charged for failure to declare the sum of Eighty Six Thousand United States Dollars ($86,000.00) out of a total sum of $96,000 (ninety six thousand United States Dollars) in contravention of Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2011. The accused was arrested by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu while travelling to China…

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The trial of a Ex-Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh (rtd.) and Iyalikam Nigeria Limited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja continued yesterday with further cross-examination of prosecution witness, Mustapha Yerima, PW4, a builder who allegedly assisted Badeh in procuring a piece of land and building a plaza in Abuja. During cross-examination by the defence counsel, Akin Olujimi, SAN, Yerima maintained his earlier statements that he was given the dollar equivalent of N304m, which he gave to Bureau de Change ( BDC)…

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The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN, has charged lawyers and professionals in the financial and private sectors, to see themselves as partners in the fight against economic and financial crimes. Sagay made the charge at the commencement of a two-day workshop on “Role of Professionals in the Fight Against Corruption”, which held at the Rockview Hotel, Abuja, June 16, 2016. He noted that the war against corruption could not be won, without them keying into the fight. “The implementation of your rules and regulations including the ethics of your profession, and disciplinary methods…

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Etoh Oluwabukola (aka Mobolaji Johnson) was on June 13 arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court Owerri, Imo State, on an eight-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N1,044,000 (One Million and Forty-four Thousand Naira). Oluwabukola belongs to a syndicate of fraudsters that operated seven different accounts with different banks, using fictitious names, and non-existent addresses, with the sole aim of using the said accounts to conceal their fraudulent activities. The modus operandi of the syndicate was to deceive their victim into believing…

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