It has come to the knowledge of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, that some persons have been dropping the name of its Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, and claiming that they have his permission to ask for payments to secure the release of suspects under investigation by the Commission. Some unsuspecting members of the public have fallen victim of this scam and made huge payments to this syndicate. The Commission warns the public to be wary of the activities of these fraudulent individuals who have no relationship whatsoever with Mr. Magu and the EFCC. “I have not mandated anybody to…
Author: Kunle Edun
Vatsama Danladi was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on May 19, before Justice M. M. Kolo of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja on a 4-count charge bordering on theft, illegal possession and use of specimen naira currency notes. Danladi, a security guard with Kings Guard Security attached to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ran into legal trouble when one of the new generation banks found 299 pieces of N1000 notes marked “specimen” amounting to N299,000.00 during a process of cash count sometime in January this year. On investigation, the bank discovered…
Dada Olatunji, a former Assistant Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Fire Service has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, May 19 for offences bordering on employment scam before Justice M. M. Kolo of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja. Dada’s arrest and subsequent arraignment followed a petition from two young job seekers – Robert Mathew and Theresa Abah claiming that sometime in December 2014, one Christopher Adaje, Olatunji’s junior collegue met them and promised to get them employed in the Nigerian Fire Service. Adaje, who works at the Nyanya Fire Service,…
Justice has been finally served after five years of grueling legal battle as the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on May 20 convicted a former Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Temisan Omatseye. Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia in a landmark ruling convicted the former DG on 25 of the 27-count charge bordering on alleged contract variation, bid rigging and awarding contract above his approval limit which violates the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Omatseye was first docked by the anti graft agency in February…
Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere and presided over by Justice A. A. Akintoye, ruled out the prospect of entertaining any application of stay of proceedings in the ongoing trial of Rickey Tarfa, SAN judgment is delivered. At the resumed hearing on May 20, counsel to Tarfa, Abiodun J. Owonikoko (SAN) had raised a motion for stay of proceedings based on an earlier judgment over right of jurisdiction and dismissal of the charge against the defendant which the court over – ruled. The defence wants the court to stay proceeding pending the hearing and determination of the appeal at…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) re-arraigned a former Head of Service (HoS) to the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, on May 18 before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of a Federal High Court, Abuja on an amended 35-count charge bordering on stealing and obtaining money by false pretence. In the amended charge dated November 2, 2015, Oronsaye is being charged along with Osarenkhoe Afe, Fedrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, Cluster Logistic Limitd, Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, and Drew Investment & Construction Company Limited. Oronsaye and Afe, who is the managing director of Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, were present in court. However,…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged members of the public to ignore any message allegedly coming from the Commission, claiming that their banks had sent a report of fraudulent transaction on their account. This warning is coming on the heels of several calls and e-mail from members of the public across the country that the Commission sent mails to them requesting for their bank details and report of other fraudulent transactions. One of such mails forwarded to the EFCC by a recipient reads in part: “Dear Sir/Madam, Your bank has sent in a report of fraudulent transaction…
Hussein A. Umar, a private legal practitioner and a witness at the ongoing trial of the former Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh, on Wednesday, May 18 told Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja how he assisted Badeh in the purchase of two properties in choice areas of Abuja. Umar, who testified as PW3 while being led in evidence by counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court that he assisted Badeh and the erstwhile director of finance and accounts at the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Air Commodore Salisu Abdullahi…
Doyin Okupe, the erstwhile Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 appeared as the third defence witness (DW3) for Olisa Metuh, the embattled national spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who is standing trial over his alleged role in the infamous $2.1 billion arms deal involving the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd). Metuh is being prosecuted alongside his company, Destra Investment Limited on a 7-count charge before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, He is accused of allegedly…
Yazidu Ibrahim, a Staff Officer, Accounts, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) who is a witness in the ongoing trial of a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Haliru Bello, has told the Federal High Court, Abuja, how he was instructed to pay the sum of N300 million to a company, BAM Projects and Properties Limited, owned by Bello. Bello alongside his son, Bello Abba Mohammed, and their company, Bam Project and Properties Limited, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly receiving the sum of N300 million from the office…
Some top officials of the Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology (FSMLT) in Jos, Plateau State, have been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, May 10, before Justice Y. G. Dakwak of the Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos on a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy and diversion of funds to the tune of N359m (Three Hundred and Fifty-Nine Million Naira). The accused persons are: Dr. Nkereuwem Sunday Etukudo, Provost, FSMLT, Jos; Yusuf Samuel, Accountant, FSMLT; Ernest Demtoe, Secretary of Tenders Board, FSMLT; Goodluck Echewa and Esio Udoh, both contractors of FSMLT. The arraignment,…
The Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has urged Naval ratings undergoing the Basic Intelligence Operative Course 18/16 at the Nigerian Navy Intelligence School (NNIS), Naval Base, Lagos to join hands in the fight against corruption. In his lecture titled: ‘‘History, Roles and Organizational Structure of the Commission,’’ Magu also charged the ratings to be more patriotic. Magu, who was represented by Samin Amaddin, Head, Public Affairs, Lagos zone, also used the opportunity to share the existing mutual relationship between the Navy and the EFCC, saying, “Over the years, the EFCC and Navy have enjoyed…
Abraham Adedayo Ologunja was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday May 12, before Justice E. F. Ikponmwen of the Edo State High Court, Benin City on one count charge of issuance of dud cheque. Ologunja allegedly presented a cheque of N4.4million for the payment of DPK belonging to the complainant, Anyagbeso Bright, which on presentation at the bank was dishonoured for insufficient funds. He person pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him. The charge reads: “That you, Abraham Adedayo Ologunja, “m” on or about the 14th Day of October, 2013 at Benin,…
One Nura Amadi was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, May 12, before Justice Olasumbo O. Goodluck of the FCT High Court, Abuja on a 5 count charge bordering on misappropriation of funds and issuance of dud cheques. Amadi, a former staff of Balis Bureau de Change Limited, Abuja sometime in 2014 was allegedly entrusted by his company with money to the tune of N24.4million including $20,000USD for the purpose of trading for the company, but dishonestly converted same to his personal use. In a bid to refund the money, he, twice issued cheques that…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) South East Zonal Head based in Enugu, Obioha Okorie, last Thursday, May 12, 2016 charged operators of Designated Non-financial Institutions (DNFIs) within the Southeast Geo-political Zone, to strictly conduct their businesses within the ambit of the law as any infraction of the law would attract due sanctions. Okorie made the charge in his welcome remark on a one day workshop organized by the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) Enugu at the conference hall of the Commission which had in attendance business owners, company directors, general managers and various representatives from over…
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last Thursday, May 12 secured the conviction of Babatunde Abisuga, a former accountant of the Federal Civil Service Commission, who is being prosecuted on a 5-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and forgery before Justice Maryann Anennih of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Maitama, Abuja. He was arraigned alongside Mohammed Ndakupe and Hassan Mohammed Tukur (now late) on April 3, 2012 on a 12-count charge which they pleaded not guilty to. Abisuga, through his counsel, M. A. Ebute later prayed the court to allow him explore…
One Mohammed Sambo was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last Thursday, May 12, before Justice M. M Kolo of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Wuse, Abuja on one count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence. Sambo was alleged to have fraudulently obtained the sum of N10million (ten million naira) from one Abdulmalik Bello, CEO, Sunbeam International Company purportedly to facilitate a contract for construction of Zurmi Stores Mayasa Birnin Tungar Fulani Mashema Road, Zamfara State. He further promised Bello that, when documentation is completed, the contract would be sold and proceeds shared…
The ongoing trial of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex S. Badeh, continued last week Wednesday, May 11, before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, with the re-examination of a prosecution witness, Squadron Leader Emmanuel Abu, a cashier with the Nigerian Air Force, who stated that between N900m and N1.3bn was released monthly from the NAF Headquarters for personnel emolument and salaries. He said the balance from salaries meant for non-regular allowances, training and operations were transferred to five other accounts: three with Zenith Bank, one with Diamond Bank and one with UBA.…
A former governor of Cross Rivers State, Senator Liyel Imoke, was quizzed by the operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 for his alleged involvement in the N500million collected by the Cross Rivers State’s chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Ntufam John Okon. The N500m was part of the $115m allegedly lodged in Fidelity Bank Plc, in controversial circumstances, during the 2015 electioneering campaign period by the immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison- Madueke. Also, a former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Imasuen, and a former Secretary…
A suspected Internet fraudster, Okeke Fred, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 before Justice O. Tokode of the Federal High Court, sitting in Benin City, Edo State on a three-count charge bordering on Internet fraud, impersonation and possession of scam documents. One of the charges reads: “That you, Okeke Fred ‘M’ sometime in 2015 in Benin City, Edo State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, had in your possession documents containing a false representation to wit: fraudulent mails found in your laptop, which you knew to be false and thereby…