A 62-year old retired colonel, Eugene Okpala, has been sentenced by Justice F. N. Yunusa of the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu on Wednesday, May 25 to seven years imprisonment in a case of conspiracy, and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N34.5million (thirty-four million, five hundred thousand naira) brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The matter which was earlier slated for trial on Wednesday took a different turn when the convict decided to change his plea from “not guilty” to “guilty”. Okpala allegedly in 2008 approached one Barrister Vincent Obetta of…
Author: Kunle Edun
The Director of Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Mr. Francis Usani, at the presentation of Nigeria National Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment Report held at Barcelona Hotel, Wuse 2, Abuja on Thursday, May 26 disclosed that the Nigeria National Risk Assessment Report, NRA, Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing have been identified as high risk areas in the fight against corruption. The report which was compiled by over 96 persons drawn from 26 MDAs is a response and compliance to Recommendation 1 of the FATF revised standards which enjoined countries to identify, assess and understand its money laundering and terrorist financing…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has responded to a report entitled, “Judge faults EFCC over detention of Jonathan’s Cousin”, which appeared in a number of newspapers on Friday May 27. The syndicated story tended to create the wrong notion that Justice Olasumbo Goodluck of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, condemned the Commission for allegedly violating the fundamental rights of Roberts Azibaola, a suspect that is under investigation for receiving $40million in a phantom contract from the Office of the National Security Adviser. According to the EFCC, this is further from what transpired in court on Wednesday May 25 when…
The application by the embattled spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, seeking the release of his international passport to enable him travel abroad for medical treatment, has been dismissed by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, May 25. Counsel to Metuh, Onyechi Ikpeazu,SAN, had on Monday, May 23, 2016 through an application dated May 16, 2016 sought the permission of the court to allow his client travel to the United Kingdom for five weeks to attend to his failing health. He said that, the court could order the defendant to…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, May 25, secured the conviction of one Mallam Kabiru Jibrin before Justice Joseph Awak of Gombe State High Court after he was found guilty of a thre count charge bordering on obtaining one million, five hundred and sixty thousand naira (N1,560,000) by false pretence. The complainant, Aliyu Audu Awwal, had alleged that the convict defrauded him and one Mallam Hussani Kumo, of the sum of N1,560,000 on the pretext that the said amount will be use to secure Hajj seats for them which he never did but diverted the money for…
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, May 25 has dismissed the appeal brought before it by the embattled National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, ruling that the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja was right when he dismissed Metuh’s no-case-submission. In a unanimous judgment delivered today by a three-man panel of Justices led by Justice Abdul Aboki, the appellate court held that, Metuh had a case to answer regarding the N400million allegedly transferred from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, into his company account.…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on May 24 successfully secured the conviction of one Agumandu Christopher Nnamdi, before Justice F.N Yunusa of the Federal High Court in Enugu on one count charge bordering on Money Laundering. The convict was arrested by a team of Presidential Trans-border Task force of the Nigeria Customs Service on the 5th September, 2015 at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu for falsely declaring the sum of $9,500.00 (Nine Thousand, Five Hundred United State Dollars) out of the total sum of $51,000.00 (Fifty One Thousand United State Dollars) on his way to China on…
The fourth prosecution witness, PW4, Mustapha Yerima At the resumed trial of a former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh, on May 24 gave Justice Okon E. Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja a blow-by-blow account of how he was paid the sum of N108million through Badeh’s company, Vetivo Nigeria Limited. Yerima whose testimony started yesterday stated that, the process of the payment came through a third party. According to Yerima,” the payment that came through a third party is as a result of the meeting between myself, Air Comodore Yushau (a retired…
Dr. Love Obiani Iwori was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday before Justice R. I. Ahiakwo of the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on a one- count charge bordering on issuance of dishonored cheque to the tune of Four Million Naira (N4,000,000.00). Dr. Love Obiani allegedly presented a cheque of N4million in payment for a 2008 model Toyota Avalon saloon car belonging to the complainant, Lawal Babangida, which on presentation at the bank was returned unpaid due to insufficient funds. She pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to…
A suspected land scammer, Victor Ochala who is standing trial on a 27-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence and forgery to the tune of over N300million (three hundred million naira) brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been granted bail in the sum of N10 million (Ten million naira) by Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court Abuja on Tuesday, May 24. The judge also ordered the accused to provide two sureties in like sum. One of the sureties must have a landed property worth N10million naira in Abuja or its environs, while second…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was on Thursday, April 7, 2016 arraigned five former staff of the Department of Finance and Accounts, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Borno State for offences bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N185m (One Hundred and Eighty-Five Million Naira), were on Friday, May 13, 2016 granted bail by Justice M. T. Salihu of the Federal High Court sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State. The accused persons-Mahmud Deji Sambo, a former Assistant Director; Bukar Musti, a former Assistant Chief Accountant; Mohammed Saleh Kasim, a former Executive Officer; Haruna…
An application of a no-case submission filed by Opeyemi Ajuayah, Majope Investment, Abdullahi Alao, Axenergy and Olarenwaju Olalusi was dismissed by Justice Latifah Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court on Friday, May 13. In their consolidated application, the defendants through their counsels, challenged the competency of the charge prepared against them by the prosecution. They argued that the prosecution was unable to adduce sufficient evidence to justify the continuation of the trial, therefore a prima-facie case had not been established against them. They also claimed that the essential elements they are charged with have not been proved by the prosecution. Also in their submission, the defendants claimed…
At the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on May 12, Justice Saliu Saidu awarded a cost of N5,000 (Five Thousand Naira) against Joseph Nwobike, SAN, counsel to Dr. Femi Thomas, former Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for failure to appear in court. Thomas alongside one Kabiru Sidi, a Bureau de Change Operator, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on March 16, 2016 on a 4-count bordering on obtaining by false pretence to the tune $2.2 million (Two Million, Two Hundred Thousand US Dollars). The accused persons had pleaded not guilty to the charge. At the…
Air Vice-Marshal Saliu Atawodi (rtd.), a former chairman, Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety (PICOMSS) and one Rabiu Hassan, owner of Hypertech Company, were granted bail in the sum of N500million (Five Hundred Million Naira) by Justice U.P. Kekemeke of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Monday, May 16. The duo were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on May 11, 2016 for allegedly defrauding the government to the tune of over N600m (Six Hundred Million Naira) through suspicious contracts to procure military boats. One of the counts reads: “That you, AVM Saliu Atawodi (retd.),…
The witness Kolomi Mohammed, a Bureau de Change operator, made the disclosure when he was asked to explain the financial transactions which occurred on August 5, 2014 and January 21 and 22, 2015 between his company and NIMASA. In those three days it was discovered that a total sum of N102,000,000 was transferred from the account of Committee on Intelligence Gathering in NIMASA to the account of Kostan Mega Concept Limited, a company belonging to the witness. Kolomi told the court that on August 5, 2014 one Sule Usaini, a colleague of his came to him with a business and…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last week Monday, May 16 arraigned one Bisi Lillian Olagunju before Justice Munta Abimbola of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, on a three count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence. Bisi, who allegedly claimed to be a Special Adviser to an Urban and Rural Development Committee Chairman of the National Assembly, was arrested and charged sequel to a petition from one Abiodun Julius alleging that he paid her the total sum of N9,000, 000:00 (Nine million naira) in tranches to help him secure a job for his brother at…
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on May 17 convicted and sentenced the duo of Wisdom Afangideh and Godwin John to 10 years imprisonment on each of the two count charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The jail terms are to run concurrently. The convicts were however given an option of Three Million Naira (N3, 000 000.00) fine each. Also the truck and the product are to be forfeited to the Federal Government. The convicts were prosecuted on charges bordering on conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum product.…
One Paul Nonso Obinwunne and his company Paul Nomex Allied Limited ), was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on May 18 before Justice A. O. Okuma of Anambra State High Court. on a three count charge bordering on Obtaining Money by False Pretence to the tune of N15,000,000.00 (Fifteen Million Naira. When the charge was read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty on all counts preferred against him by the EFCC necessitating the prosecuting counsel S.M.H. Ibekwute to pray the court to remand the accused and fix a trial date. However, defence counsel A. C…
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on May 17 arrested one Elisha Ankuma for allegedly impersonating as a staff of EFCC and obtaining by false pretence. Ankuma’s arrest followed a complaint by one Dr. Audu Shekaro, a childhood friend of the suspect and a staff of National Veterinary Research Institute, Jos, Plateau State that the suspect sometime in November 2015 called to inform him that the EFCC was auctioning vehicles worth N400,000 (four hundred thousand naira). The complainant said Elisha told him to get in touch with one Aminu Bala for the purchase of a Honda car…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last week presented the first witness in the ongoing trial of former Acting Director-General of NIMASA, Haruna Baba Jauro, his brother in-law Dauda Bistrus Bawa and Thlumbau Enterprises Limited before Justice C.M.A Olantoregun of the Federal High Court Lagos. The former Ag Director General of NIMASA was arraigned alongside his brother in-law, Dr Dauda Bistrus Bawa and their company Thlumbau Enterprises Limited on April 12, 2016 for allegedly receiving gratification from his predecessor Patrick Akpobolokemi to the tune of N156,477,500 (One Hundred and Fifty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Seven Thousand, Five Hundred…