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…
Author: Kunle Edun
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…
In the ongoing trial of a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, and six others; a prosecution witness, Wakili Dauda, has told a Lagos State High Court how the agency paid him the sum of N96, 764,689.00 (Nine-six Million Seven Hundred and Sixty-four Thousand Six Hundred and Eighty-Nine Naira) for doing nothing. Testifying before Justice R.1.B Adebiyi on Monday, May 9, 2016, Dauda, owner of Kofa Father Nigeria Limited, a Bureau De Change, stated that the sum of N96,764,689.00 was paid into his account, on October 30, 2014, in two tranches of N35,688,000.00 and N61,076,680.00…
The duo of Air Vice Marshal Saliu Atawodi (retd.), a former chairman, Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety (PICOMSS), one Rabiu Hassan and his company, Hypertech Nigeria Limited, were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice U. P. Kekemeke of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on a three- count charge bordering on conspiracy, abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds. They accused persons allegedly defrauded the government to the tune of over N600m through suspicious contracts to procure military boats. One of the counts reads: ‘‘ That you, A.V.M. Saliu…
A former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar (retd.), was arranged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja on a seven-count charge bordering on money laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption. One of the charges reads: ‘‘That you , Air Marshall Mohammed Dikko Umar,whilst being the Chief of Air Staff, Nigerian Air Force between September 2010 to September 2012 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court directly converted the United States Dollar equivalent of the aggregate sum of N4,846,630,000,00 (Four Billion, Eight…
Architect Musa Muhammad Sada, who was the former Minister of Mines and Steel, has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of his involvement in the alleged N23.29bn poll bribery scandal. Sada is one of the former ministers in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan who are being investigated by the anti-graft agency. During investigation, Sada disclosed that he was authorised by former governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, to collect the sum of N700m ( Seven Hundred Million) on behalf of Katsina State and remit it to the former state’s Commissioner of Finance for keep for him (Shema). In…
A prosecution witness, Effa Imoh Okim, in the trial of Helen Aninye, Chizobam Ben-Okafor and their company, Pon-Specialized Services Limited, who are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allegedly for N1.4billion subsidy fraud, has told Justice Olasumbo Goodluck of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja how the accused persons collected about N1bn (One Billion Naira) from the Federal Government as subsidy, which was in excess of about N300 million (Three Hundred Million Naira) that they were entitled to. PW7, Okim, an operative of the EFCC and a member of the Commission’s Special…
A Lagos-based lawyer, Ebun Olu Adegboruwa, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of N61,631,944.65 (Sixty-one Million, Six Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Nine-Hundred and Forty-four Naira, Sixty-five Kobo). Adegboruwa allegedly conspired with some other persons to lease a property situated at House 105, Nicon Town Estate, Lekki, Lagos to a company named Shelf Drilling Nigeria Limited for the sum of N61,631,944.65. The property is under an interim forfeiture order by a Lagos State High Court. The money was credited to his Zenith Bank account, from where he…
Godwin Nnam Okeke was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday before Justice M.N. Yinusa of the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu. The convict, who had evaded arrest for several months, was eventually arrested on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 and was arraigned five days after on a one-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence the sum of N2,150,000.00 (Two Million, One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira). Okeke had allegedly sold a landed property located at Trans-Aero Drome in Umuchigbo, Nike, Enugu State to the petitioner, Nnamdi Okebugwu , for the sum of N2,150,000. However, the petitioner, who…
The outgoing Chairman of Kuje Local Government Area, Abuja, Tete Ishaku Shaban, was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday for offences bordering on obtaining by false pretence and abuse of office to the tune of N17.5m (Seventeen Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira). The complainant, Najumudeen Gidado, alleged that sometime in 2014, his company, Trade Executive Network Limited, bid for the reconstruction and modernization of Kuje Main Market in Abuja. According to him, his company was awarded the contract and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed. Gidado further alleged that Shaban later demanded for the sum…
During the proceedings in the ongoing trial of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh, which continued on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, with the prosecution witness, PW1, Air Commodore Salisu Abdullahi Yushau (rtd.), a former Director of Finance and Accounts, Nigerian Air Force, insisted that he was directed to buy a property worth N240million for his (Badeh) son, Alex Badeh Jnr. Badeh is being prosecuted alongside Iyalikam Nigeria Limited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for offences bordering on money…
The former Governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 23-count charge bordering on money laundering and diversion of funds before Justice Adebukola Banjoko, is alleged to have siphoned the state’s ecological fund to the tune of N1.162 billion. Clark gave a blow-by-blow account of how £11,560 cash found on Christopher Mekwunye, an aide of Dariye, who is allegedly involved in a credit card fraud, was traced to the former governor, making him a suspect of money laundering. Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Clark…
Yesterday, one Bunmi Dare Ikuolayole was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice R.I.B. Adebiyi of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere on a six-count charge bordering on stealing and forgery to the tune of N13,500,000.00 (Thirteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira). The accused person, a clearing and forwarding agent, was alleged to have collected the sum of N13,500,000.00 (Thirteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from the complainant, Oredola Olatunbosun, for the shipping and clearing of a Rolls Royce Ghost from the United States sometime in November, 2013. Count one reads: ‘‘That you, Bunmi…
Three former officials of Bassa Local Government Council, Kogi State have been convicted and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment over a N160m (One Hundred and Sixty Million Naira) fraud. Justice J.J. Majebi of the Kogi State High Court sitting in Okene, Kogi State made the ruling. The convicts: Joseph Y. Agbo, Director, Local Government and Head of Service; John Ekele, Treasurer and Financial Adviser to the Executive Chairman and Abubakar Adamu, Chief Environmental Health Officer, were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on March 13, 2012 on a four-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of…
The trial of Jigawa State former governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, and his cohorts before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja could not continue yesterday due to the absence of the counsels to the defendants. Lamido is being prosecuted alongside his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, and two others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 27-count charge bordering on abuse of office and money laundering. At the resumed hearing today, the prosecution counsel, Chile Okoroma, presented to the court a letter dated May 6, 2016 from Joe Agbi, SAN , one of the…
In the on-going trial of a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi; a prosecution witness, Olamide Odusanya and six others have told a Lagos State High Court that the former DG approved the disbursement of all funds from the accounts of the agency. Testifying before Justice R.1.B Adebiyi on Thursday, May 5, 2016, Odusanya, an Assistant Director in the Financial Services Department of NIMASA, said Akpobolokemi approved the payment of N498,200,000 and N318,000,000 for the implementation of the Voluntary International Maritime Organisation Member State Audit Scheme (VIMSAS) project by NIMASA in 2014. Odusanya, who was led in…
The trial of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswan and his finance commissioner, Okolobia Okpanachi continued yesterday with the prosecution presenting its fourth witness, PW4, Abubakar Umar, who told the court how monies were converted to dollars and given to the governor. Suswan and his co-accused are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) on a 9-count charge bordering on diversion of N3.1 billion before Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja. At the resumed trial, Umar, a Bureau de Change Operator and owner of Fanffash Resources while being led in evidence by Rotimi…