The ongoing trial of a former Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh (retd.), by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) continued today before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, with further cross-examination of Mustapha Yerima, prosecution witness and Managing Director, Ryte Builders Nigeria Limited, who had allegedly assisted him (Badeh) in procuring and constructing several choice properties within the Abuja Metropolis. While being cross-examined by counsel to the first defendant, Akin Olujimi, SAN, Yerima told the court that he had been invited severally by the Commission to answer questions…
Author: Kunle Edun
The duo of Mohammed Sufyanu and Abbas Attahiru were today arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Apo, Abuja for conspiracy, impersonation and obtaining under false pretence. Abbas allegedly conspired with Sufyanu to obtain money from one Dr. Modibbo Ahmed. While posing as EFCC operatives, they told him that he had a case with the EFCC, but that they could help him “kill” the case, if he “played ball”. He alleged that he was threatened that the operatives were coming to raid his house, if he…
One Folake Joy Yobah alongside her company, Skyhigh Ventures Limited, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on June 14 before Justice Sylvanus Chinedu Oriji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on a five-count charge bordering on issuance of dud cheque to the tune of N40m (Forty Million Naira). The complainant, Emmanuel Uzomah, Managing Director, United Surgical Limited, and the defendant had opened a joint account, after the latter allegedly entered an agreement to finance a contract awarded to the former. Consequently, the accused person allegedly issued six cheques in favour of…
Five suspected fraudsters were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today before Justice O.O. Goodluck of the FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on an 11-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, advance fee fraud, obtaining money by false pretence and personation to the tune of N29m. The suspects: Rita Ukeke, Franklin Ibe, Mamam Mahammed Hamidu, Isei Pius Divine and Yusuf Ibrahim Muhammed – allegedly conspired to forge documents on two properties, which they sold to one Mrs. Ezeani Thankgod Nnamdi . Count one of the charge reads: ‘‘That you, Rita Ukeke, Franklin Ibe,Mammam Mahammed Hamidu, Isei…
The defence counsel, G. S. Pwul, SAN, in the trial of a former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, has told the court that he has decided to shelve his intention to seek a “no-case” submission and so would want to open his defence. He said this today, June 14 before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Gudu, Abuja. Dariye is being prosecuted by the EFCC for allegedly siphoning the state’s ecological fund to the tune of N1.16 billion. At the sitting of June 6, 2016 when the prosecution closed its case against Dariye, Pwul had told the court…
In recent times, a lot of interest has been generated by the action of the Commission in freezing the accounts of suspects that were investigated or are currently being investigated. Some commentators have tended to ascribe vindictive motives to this action. In order to prevent misinformation, it is imperative to explain the reason behind the Commission’s actions in this regard. Freezing of accounts suspected of being used for commission of financial crimes is a mandatory investigative step backed by law. Indeed, Section 34 (1) of the EFCC Act 2004 empowers the Commission to freeze any account suspected of being used…
The trial of a former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, continued on June 10 with the former Comptroller-General of Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), David Shikfu Paradang giving detailed account of how the ministry over-ruled former President Goodluck Jonathan in the ill-fated recruitment into the Service held on March 15, 2014 which led to the death of scores of Nigerian job seekers. The former NIS boss stated this at the resumed trial of Moro before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja. Paradang, had on Wednesday while testifying as PW1 told the court that he was…
The trial of the ex-governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges bordering on money laundering and diversion of funds, witnessed a turn of events on June 10 as the defence counsel, G. S. Pwul, SAN, rather than open its defence, told the court that “we intend to raise a no-case submission”. Dariye is being prosecuted by the EFCC, at a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Gudu, Abuja, presided over by Justice Adebukola Banjoko. He is alleged to have siphoned the state’s ecological fund to the tune…
One Bashir Musa of Hotoro Dan Marke Quarters of Kano City was convicted by Justice Fatu Riman of the Federal High Court, Kano on two count charges of impersonation and obtaining money by false pretence. The convict was arrested by Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on August 27, 2012 following a petition by one Shetima Yusuf of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) Quarters, Kano. The complainant alleged that the convict had offered to sell to him, four plots of land which he claimed belonged to his father, Alhaji Musa Usman. Upon agreement, Shatima raised a First…
Desmond Nunugwo, a suspect under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) died on June 10 few hours after he was taken into custody. His demise was confirmed at the hospital where he was rushed after he suddenly took ill. Late Nunugwu allegedly fraudulently obtained N91million from an acquaintance after he tricked her into believing that he had high net worth business associates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates who were at the verge of buying Nicon Insurance and convinced her of their disposition to help her stock fish business. Consequently, she wired N91m into Nunugwo’s nominated account (Mainagge General Merchants)…
Signor Kanu was on June 9 arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice A. O. Otaluka of the FCT High Court sitting in Lugbe, Abuja on one count charge of fraud. Kanu was alleged to have defrauded one Stanley Ojigbo to the tune of N9.8million for a non-existent contract. After several months of waiting and the accused could neither deliver on his promise nor refund the money, the complainant decided to petition the EFCC. The charge reads: “That you, Signor Kanu on or about the 25th of March 2011, in Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this…
A banker, Olawale Garuba was sentenced to 39-year imprisonment on June 9 by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos State High Court. The banker was convicted for stealing from the dead. The convict was arraigned alongside six others in July 2015 for conspiring among themselves to steal over N30,000,000 (Thirty Million Naira) from the bank account a deceased customer of a new generation bank where the convict works.The fraud was uncovered by the bank when they discovered that some of their staff, including the convict had connived with proxies steal from a dormant account of one of the bank’s customers.…
One Abdullahi Adamu Usman (aka Dan China) alongside his company, Solid Unit Nigeria Limited was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on June 9 before Justice Yakubu Dakwak of the High Court of Plateau State (Court 2), Jos, Plateau State, on a two-count amended charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N23,431,000.00 (Twenty-three Million, Four Hundred and Thirty-one Thousand Naira). The accused, who claimed to own a functional mining site, allegedly obtained the money from the complainant, Olajide Olaleye, Managing Director, TTMW Services Nigeria Limited, for the supply of Iron…
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court Abuja commenced the trial of a former Interior Minister, Abba Moro on June 8 with the presentation of the first prosecution witness, David Shikfu Paradang by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Moro is being prosecuted alongside three others on an 11-count charge bordering on procurement fraud and money laundering. The other accused persons are: one-time permanent secretary in the ministry, Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, a deputy director in the ministry, F. O Alayebami, one Mahmood Ahmadu (at large), and the contracting firm that was given the recruitment job, Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited.…
The duo of James Ogwuche Alex and Oklewu Ene Gina was arraigned on June 7 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice B.O Quadri of the Federal High Court,Port Harcourt, Rivers State on a 2-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only (N250,000). The petitioner, Professor Ndubuisi Eke alleged that the suspects who are both students of Benue State Polytechnic hoodwinked him through an e-mail from a purported old friend by name Engineer Bartholomew requesting him to pay Two hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250,000).to…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday presented its first witness (PW1), Robert Mathew against a former Assistant Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Fire Service, Dada Olatunji, who is being tried for offences bordering on employment scam before Justice M. M. Kolo of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja. Olatunji was arraigned on May 19, 2016 for allegedly defrauding two young job seekers – Robert Mathew and Theresa Abah to the tune of N575,000 (five hundred and seventy five thousand naira) under the pretext of getting them employments into the Nigerian Fire Service. The offence is…
A witness in the ongoing trial of Abdulsalam Ibrahim, Executive Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on Tuesday, June 7 informed the Federal High Court Lagos how the sixth defendant Bola Akinribido and the second defendant Segun Agbolade connived and diverted the sum of N855,000,000.95 (Eight Hundred and Fifty Five Million, Ninety Five Kobo) property of NAMA. At the last adjourned date, the witness Babatunde Adelekan had disclosed that between August 2013 and September 2015 there was an inflow of N837,221,137 (Eight Hundred and Thirty Seven Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, One Hundred and Thirty Seven Naira Only)…
The Federal High Court, Abuja ruling on Tuesday, June 7 presided over by Justice Nnamdi O. Dimgba has ordered the remand of Azibaola Robert, a cousin of the immediate past president Goodluck Jonathan in Kuje Prison pending the determination of his bail application. Azibaola and his wife, Stella, were arraigned alongside their company, One Plus Holding Limited on a seven 7-count charge bordering on money laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The couple were alleged to have diverted $40million (forty million US dollars) purportedly meant for the supply of tactical communication kits for…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who presented its tenth witness during the trial on June 6, has closed its case against former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye. Dariye is being prosecuted by the EFCC, on charges bordering on money laundering and diversion of funds before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), High Court, Gudu, Abuja. He is alleged to have siphoned the state’s ecological fund to the tune of N1.16 billion. The witness, Kawu Mohammed, an operative at the EFCC’s Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section, told the court that the unit, which was created in 2009,…
On Monday June 6, Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja disqualified himself from presiding over the trial of Gabriel Suswan, former Governor of Benue State and his Finance Commissioner, Okolobia Okpanachi. Suswan and his co-accused are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), before the judge on a 9-count charge bordering on conspiracy, abuse of office and diversion of state funds to the tune N3.1 billion. At the resumed trial today, Justice Mohammed drew the court’s attention to an online publication purportedly on “Sahara Reporters” last week to the effect that the first…