Author: Kunle Edun

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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.…

Read More

Pastor Emmanuel Markus Anga and Atin Victor Generous were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on July 11 before Justice Abubakar Jauro of Gombe State High Court on two count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretense. Anga and Generous are alleged to have in November 2013, deceived David Madison, into believing that they were employees of Gora Commanding Resources, a foreign exchange investment concern allegedly owned by Philemon Gora (who is still at large) and tricked their victim into expecting that his investment of five hundred thousand (N500,000.00) would yield ten percent (10%)…

Read More

The duo of James Edwin Ehiaghe and Aimienmwona Osahon were arraigned on July 4 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice O.O Tokode of the Federal High Court Benin, Edo State on four counts bordering on ATM fraud, forgery, Impersonation, conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretences; possession of scam documents contrary to section 1, 2 and 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006. Ehiaghe and Osahon are alleged to belong to a syndicate of fraudsters who specialize in defrauding their victims through text messages. They were separately charged with two counts…

Read More

The trial of Barrister Azibaola Robert, a cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan continued yesterday with the first witness, Ibrahim Mahe, telling Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal HIgh Court Abuja that the Special Services Office had three accounts (Naira, US Dollar and Pound Sterling) running for the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA. Mahe, a retired permanent secretary, special services in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, told the court under cross-examination that, while he was the Permanent Secretary for some months, there was an inflow into the dollar account which he (Mahe) was…

Read More

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned Jide Omokore; Victor Briggs, former managing director of Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited; Abiye Membere, former Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation; David Mbanefo, manager Planning and Commercial of the NNPC; Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja on a 9-count  bordering on money laundering and procurement fraud. Omokore is alleged to have used the Strategic Alliance Agreement signed between the NPDC and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited to swindle the NPDC…

Read More

Gabriel Daudu, the convicted former Caretaker Chairman of, Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi State, yesterday lost his post conviction bail bid as a Federal High Court sitting Lokoja refused his bail application. Daudau was convicted by Justice Inyang Ekwo on April 25, 2016 after he found him guilty of 77 counts of fraud and sentenced him to 154-year imprisonment. In his ruling, the trial judge held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, and sentenced Mr. Daudu to two years on each of the 77 counts. Since the sentences are running concurrently, Mr. Daudu is expected to spend two…

Read More

Justice M. S. Hassan of the Federal High Court, Lagos yesterday 2016 granted bail to Femi Fani-Kayode and Nenadi Esther Usman, both former ministers and directors in the Presidential Campaign Organisation of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2015 general election. Also admitted to bail is Danjuma Yusuf, the third accused in the 17- count charge that borders on conspiracy, stealing, corruption and making cash payments exceeding the amount authorized by law preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The defendants alongside Jointrust Dimensions Nigeria Limited are alleged to have diverted about N4.9 billion belonging to the Federal…

Read More

A bail has been granted to Obaje Musa Mohammed, one of the three accused persons charged for conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N220 million by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Friday, July 1, 2016 granted the bail. Mohammed and his co-accused – Dayo Jimoh and Victor Ochola were arraigned on June 22, 2016 on a 27-count for allegedly defrauding one Mohammed Jibrin, Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Suntrust Savings and Loans Limited, with a promise that they could help…

Read More

Two former ministers and directors of Media and Finance respectively of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Organisation in the 2015 general election, Femi Fani-Kayode and Nenadi Usman are to remain in prison till July 4, 2016 as a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos today reserved ruling on their bail applications. Fani-Kayode and Usman alongside Danjuma Yusuf and Jointrust Dimensions Nigeria Limited  were on  June 28 arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission  before Justice M. S. Hassan on a 17-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, corruption and making cash payments exceeding the amount authorized by law. The…

Read More

A former acting governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, was on on Friday July 1 granted a bail by Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja. He was charged June 30, 2016 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside his company, Mayim Construction and Properties Limited  on a 5-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N2.9billion Ruling on the bail application, Justice Mohammed held that,” since the EFCC, being the complainant, had already released the defendant on administrative bail since June 15, 2016, with no complaint of defaulting contained in their counter affidavit, there…

Read More

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on June 28 presented two more witnesses at the continuation of the trial within a trial, in a N2 billion fraud case involving a former Head of Service, HoS, to the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, and Osarenkhoe Afe, managing director of Federick Hamilton Global Services Limited. They are charged along with Cluster Logistic Limited; Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, and Drew Investment & Construction Company Limited, before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of a Federal High Court, Abuja. Oluwole Aladedoye, counsel representing Afe, had on June 14, 2016 argued that the statement obtained from his client was…

Read More

A school teacher, Idris Buhari was on June 30 convicted and sentenced by Justice J K Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Kano to seven years imprisonment for offences bordering on obtaining by false pretence. The convict who was prosecuted on a three count charge brought against im by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was arrested following a complaint by Abdullahi Salisu Muhammad alleging that he gave the convict the sum of N500,000.00 for the processing of Hajj ticket in April, 2012, after he presented himself as a registered travelling agent. But the convict allegedly diverted the funds to his personal use and…

Read More

Former Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri and Mayim Construction and Properties Limited was arraigned on June 30 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice A.R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on a 5-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N2.9billion. Fintiri, a former speaker, who also served briefly as the acting Governor of Adamawa State, allegedly laundered monies through his naira and dollar accounts domiciled at Ecobank Plc., and making a large cash payment for the purchase of a property at Plot Number 7, Gana Street , Maitama,…

Read More

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on June 30, dismissed a no-case submission filed by a former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, through his counsel, Awa Kalu, SAN, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Ohakim is facing trial for allegedly making a cash payment to the tune of $2, 290,000.00 (about N270,000,000) for the purchase of a property situated at Plot 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as Number 60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro in Abuja.  One of the counts reads:   “That you, Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the January 26, 2013 in…

Read More

Sanda was alleged to have presented himself as an adhoc staff with the Saudi Arabian Embassy and also a travel agent with the capacity to secure visa for the complainant, one Bello Isah and 49 others who wanted to perform the 2014 Hajj. However, the suspect gave the petitioners photocopies of the visas and asked for full payment after which he promised that they will get the original copy from one Musa Ibrahim. The said Ibrahim collected the photocopies from the complainant and vanished into the thin air.  Efforts to get him or recover the money proved abortive.  One of…

Read More

Air Vice Marshal John Adeniyi Kayode-Beckley was arraigned on on Wednesday, June 29 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Olubunmi Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gudu, Abuja on one count charge of bribery to the tune of N10million (ten million naira). AVM Beckley while serving as the Director of Armament with the Nigerian Airforce allegedly collected the sum of N10million as gratification from a contractor, one Mr. Hima Abubakar, of Societe D’Equipments Internationaux Nig. Ltd. One of the charges reads: “That you, AVM John Adeniyi Kayode-Beckley whilst serving as Director of…

Read More

Pastor Moses Oluwapelumi Iduye was on Monday, June 27 arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice M. O. Ishola of the Oyo State High Court sitting at Ibadan on a 10-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence and forgery. Moses, who claimed to be a pastor was arrested by the anti-graft agency sequel to a petition alleging that he collected over N1.2million (one million, two hundred thousand naira) from one Adeyemi Ronke Bola under the pretext that he would help her to secure traveling documents, but later gave her fake airline ticket and visa. The…

Read More