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…
Author: Kunle Edun
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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)…
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…
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…
Dr. Paul Angya who is the acting Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has sought the assistance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in tackling the menace of sub-standard products in the country. Angya stated that the importation of sub-standards products into the country had caused most indigenous companies to fold up. According to him, ‘‘Most people prefer to buy the cheap goods, not knowing they are fake.’’ Speaking during a courtesy call on the acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016, Angya said: ‘‘it has been on our…
Ibrahim Magu, the acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has expressed the readiness of the Commission to offer the required training to enhance the operations of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC). He gave the assurance on Wednesday, June 15, 2016, when he received a delegation led by the Chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, FRC, Victor Muruako, in his office. Magu, who thanked the delegation for the visit, added that the EFCC had a world-class Academy and resource persons to aid the operations of the FRC. Earlier in his remark, Muruako expressed the need for a partnership with the…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today arraigned former Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel Dudafa and a bank official, Iwejuo Joseph Nna (aka. Taiwo A. Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah) before Justice M.B. Idris of the Federal High Court Lagos on 23-counts of concealment, retention of proceeds of crime and failing to furnish information. Dudafa is alleged to have laundered over N1, 667,162,800.00 (One billion, six hundred and sixty seven million, one hundred and sixty two thousand, eight hundred Naira) while performing his duties as top aide to the former president, through the accounts…
The Managing Director of Ryte Builders Nigeria Limited, Mustapha Yerima, who is a prosecution witness PW4 in the ongoing trial of a former Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh (retd.) and Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, has further explained how monies were allegedly diverted from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) account to construct a shopping mall for Badeh. At the resumed hearing before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016, Yerima, who had previously narrated how he purchased the 3060sqm land on which the shopping mall is built at…
The former governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje, awarded a contract for supply of dictionaries for over one billion naira (N1billion) to Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board without following procurement process. Furthermore, he was alleged to have paid 85 per cent of the contract sum upfront to the supplier, Real and Integrated Hospitality Company as against the prescribed fifteen per cent as contained in the Board’s guideline when he was the governor. This revelation was made at the Federal High Court, which sat in Jos yesterday, at the continuation of trial of the senator by the Economic and…
A case of abuse of office and money laundering preferred against a former Kwara Information Commissioner, Olatunji Oyeyemi Moronfoye by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has again been adjourned for hearing to Wednesday, June 22, 2016 by Justice Rita Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State. Moronfoye was first arraigned on May 13, 2015 alongside Ope Saraki, cousin to Bukola Saraki, Senate President and former governor of Kwara State before the case was separated to allow the accused persons answer separate charges. Consequently, the duo were re-arraigned on February 9, 2016 before Justice Olufemi O. Oguntoyinbo of…
A 36-year banker, Cletus Emuh, was arraigned today by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice F. N. Azinge of the Delta State High Court Asaba, on a 34-count charge bordering on obtaining credit by false pretence, Forgery, and Uttering, to the tune of N148, 000,000.00 (One Hundered and Fourty Eight Million Naira). Cletus Emuh, a staff of Fidelity Bank PLC Sapele branch fraudulently created a series of loans for one Adu Ufoma George who does not exist. The documents he used were scanned from previous original documents of the customer who have benefited from the loan and the…
The Senate Committee Chairman on Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, has expressed the Committee’s resolve to support the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in its anti-graft war. Utazi gave this assurance on Monday, June 13, 2016 when he led a delegation of the Committee on a visit to the acting Chairman, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, at the Commission’s head office in Abuja. He stated that one of the priorities of the Committee was to ensure that the Commission’s headquarters, which has been under construction, would be completed soon, in order to give the staff an enabling environment to carry…
The Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Bayo Onanuga, has expressed the readiness of the agency to further support the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in its fight against corruption. Speaking during a courtesy visit on the acting chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on Tuesday, June 14, 2016, Onanuga stated that the agency would do much more than it had done in the past years to proclaim the Commission’s activities. According to him, ‘‘The News Agency of Nigeria will continue to disseminate information about the activities of the EFCC.’’ Responding, Magu, who expressed his appreciation for the…
Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, Asaba on June 6, 2016 convicted and sentenced two fraudster to seven years imprisonment each. The duo of Stephen Othuke Perry (aka Martins Leon) and Ogaga Ovuapkorie were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 21, 2013 on a 12 counts charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N24,812,905 (Twenty four million, eight hundred and twelve thousand and five naira. After a diligent prosecution by the EFCC, Justice Buba found the duo guilty on all the 12 counts and consequently sentenced them…
Paul Etim and Okon Edet Okon were on Tuesday, June 14 convicted and sentenced by Justice E.A Obile of the Federal High Court, Calabar, Cross River State to 6 years imprisonment each without an option of fine, on a 2-count charge of illegal dealing in petroleum products preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The convicts were arrested on 27 November, 2011 by officers of the Nigerian Navy while operating a dug-out wooden boat loaded with 120 drums of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) without an appropriate license. On 18 December, 2011, they were handed to the EFCC…