Author: Kunle Edun

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…

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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…

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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.),…

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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…

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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…

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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.…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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,…

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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…

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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…

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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,…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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,…

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