Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has said that the Commission will leave no stone unturned in the effort to recover public funds that have been stolen in the guise of arms procurement in Nigeria. Magu, who stated that the Commission was on top of the ongoing investigation, added that all the culprits in the arms procurement scandal would be brought to justice. Speaking at the commemoration of the International Anti-corruption Day which has as theme, ‘‘Break the Corruption Chain’’ on Wednesday, December 9 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, he said: ‘‘Corruption…
Author: Kunle Edun
The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State through Justice U.N Agomoh on Monday, December 7, 2015 granted bail to one Idowu Olanrewaju (a.k.a Henry Idobari, Eng. Henry, also trading under the name and style of Hillmat farms) and Joe Onwudimowei (a.k.a Capt. Anthony Saramoh) who are being prosecuted on a 22-count charge bordering on forgery, conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of four million dollars ($4,000,000.00) by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). One of the counts reads: “ That you, Emmanuel Idowu Olanrewaju (a.k.a Henry Idobari, Eng. Henry, also trading under the…
The trial of former Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, and his Commissioner for Finance, Omodachi Okolobia, commenced on Tuesday December 8th before Justice A. R. Mohammad of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama Abuja, with a prosecution witness telling the court how Suswam ordered the sale of Benue State-owned shares through Elixir Investment Partners Limited, a stock brokerage firm. Both Suswam and Omodachi are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a nine-count charge bordering on money laundering, abuse of office and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N3.1 bn. Suswam and Okolobia were alleged…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Chief Jonathan Alatoru before Justice U.N Agomoh of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State on an 8-count charge bordering on forgery and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N200m (two hundred million naira). Alatoru was alleged to have obtained a loan facility of N200m from one of the new generation banks sometime in September, 2012 with forged documents ranging from property valuation report, certificate of occupancy and consent letter to pledge the property used as collateral. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.…
The Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna on Monday, December 7 dismissed the appeal of Aminu Sule Lamido, the 34 year old son of former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, against the decision of the Federal High Court, Kano which found him guilty of the charge of money laundering brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Aminu Sule Lamido was arrested on the 11th of December 2012 by operatives of the EFCC, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on his way to Egypt for failure to declare the sum of $40,000 in the Customs Currency…
The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on Monday, December 7, ordered Yanaty Petrochemical Limited, an oil marketing company, to submit itself for investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) over an alleged N1,840,768,720 petroleum subsidy fraud. The EFCC had dragged the defendant before the appellate court to set aside the judgment of Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that ALL investigations into the alleged petroleum subsidy fraud against the defendant had been concluded. Delivering the unanimous ruling, Justice E. J. Ekanem said Justice Ademola’s judgment was an undue interference with the statutory power…
A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of a former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, has told Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja how the former governor allegedly gave him the sum of $2,290,000.00 (Two Million, Two Hundred and Ninety Thousand Dollars) to purchase a piece of land at Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as No.60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja. In his testimony on Monday, December 7, 2015, Abu Sule, told the court that he met the accused person in Lagos State sometime in the mid-nineties while he worked…
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday December 7th admitted as an exhibit, a statement made by Ngene Linus Chibuike, while being interrogated by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Chibuike is standing trial for non- declaration of US$2,506,998 (Two Million, Five Hundred and Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety Eight United States Dollars) during his outbound clearance for travel to China en-route Addis Ababa, by men of the Nigeria Customs Service. Justice Ibrahim Buba admitted the statement as an exhibit, after a prosecution witness, Modupe Daniela Olagbaye, addressed the court on how the statement of Chibuike…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, December 3rd, 2015 arraigned one Boniface Pius Egbuziem before Justice S.C Amadi of the State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on one count charge bordering on cheating to the tune of Forty Four Thousand Euros. The suspect, Boniface Pius Egbuziem who is resident in Germany allegedly tricked his tenant in Nigeria into a phony boat purchase scheme. He was said to have convinced the tenant that he could help him purchase a boat in Antwerp, Belgium and ship it to Nigeria. Based on this agreement, the complainant sent…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested one Joshua Emeje, a staff of Access Bank Plc, for alleged forgery and impersonation. Emeje, who works in the Loan Recovery Unit of Access Bank in Jos, Plateau State, allegedly wrote a letter, on November 21, 2015, to one Patrick Dusur, Education Secretary, Jos North LGA Education Authority, inviting him to the EFCC head office in Abuja for questioning. The letter, which was purportedly signed by one ‘Baba Mohammed’ on behalf of the Executive Chairman of EFCC, contained a phone number that Dusur was expected to call on arrival in Abuja.…
Justice Bilkisu Bello Aliyu of the Federal High Court, Yola, Adamawa state handed a 10 year jail term to a former Commissioner of Local Government Affairs in Adamawa State, John Elias Babani on Friday, December 4, 2015 for defrauding Adamawa State government of the sum of N51.5million while in office. The former commissioner was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on March 5, 2013 alongside two others who were discharged as well as a company owned by Elias on four count charges of fraud. Justice Aliyu sentenced the first convict, John Babani Elias to 10 years imprisonment on…
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on December 3, 2015 arraigned a former Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Patrick Ziadeke Akpobolokemi; and seven other staff of the agency including Captain Eziekiel Agaba, Executive Director, and their two companies before Justice Salihu Sa’idu of the Federal High Court Lagos on a 30- count charge bordering on conspiracy, fraudulent conversion of funds and Money Laundering. Others are Ekene Nwakuche, Felix Bob-Nabena, Captain Warredi Enisuoh, Governor Amechee Juan, Ugo Frederick, Timi Alari, Alkenzo Limited and Penniel Engineering Services Limited The accused persons allegedly conspired to convert and launder several…
The Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 arraigned one Isa Mohammed before Justice M.A Nasir of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, sitting in Jabi, Abuja on a 10-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust. Mohammed allegedly defrauded one Emmanuel Roberts Ejeh to the tune of N9.5million. According to the petitioner, the said money was entrusted to the accused by the victim to purchase nine shops in Garki and karu markets in Abuja. The accused allegedly converted the money to his use and went underground. All efforts by the victim to get…
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 arraigned one Ibrahim Isah before Justice M.A Nasir of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Jabi, Abuja on a 3-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and forgery. Ibrahim allegedly defrauded one Chief Ogwu Onoja (SAN) by offering to assist him in the payment of fees and processing of Certificate of Occupancy in respect of Mighty Star Academy. The defendant was allegedly entrusted with the total sum of N12,102,824.00 (twelve million, one hundred and two thousand, eight hundred and twenty four naira) to process the document…
The trial of Aliyu Akwe Doma, former Nasarawa governor and others continued on Monday, November 30, 2015 with prosecution witness, Solomon katsa, a former director of finance telling Justice A.A Okeke of the Federal High Court sitting in Lafia that, the defendants did not at all times follow due process in the disbursement and withdrawal of security votes. Akwe Doma is standing trial alongside former secretary to the state Timothy Anjide and Dauda Egwa, former accountant general on a 10-count charge bordering on money laundering and financial crimes preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The…
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, November 30, 2015 secured the conviction of one Abraham Adasah before Justice Peter Kekemeke of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Apo, Abuja. Adasah allegedly presented a false Diamond bank statement to the British High Commission with a forged letter from one “Honourable Ohenhen Nosakhare”, purported to be the Chairman of Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission with intent to cause the British High Commission to issue Nosa Ohenhen Ericson a UK visa. Adasah was arraigned as second accused on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 alongside…
The EFCC has arraigned one Salami Adejare before Justice A.I Kutigi of an FCT High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja on a 2-count charge bordering on issuance of dud cheque. Adejare allegedly issued two separate cheques in the name of S. Adejare Nigeria Limited to the tune of N40m (forty million naira) in favour of New-Way Nigeria Limited sometime in August, 2013 which upon presentation for payment was returned unpaid for insufficient funds in the account, in contravention of Section 1 (1) (b) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act Cap D11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, November 30, 2015 arraigned one Ibrahim Kamba and his company, Kamba Investment Nigeria Limited, before Justice S. Balami of the FCT High Court, Gwagwalada, Abuja on a nine-count charge bordering on forgery and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N300,000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira). The suspect had allegedly indicated interest in a plot of land located at Plot No. 1750, Cadastral Zone Co4 Dape, Abuja, which one Musa Annas Sabi of Kamba Engineering Services wanted to sell for N60m( Sixty Million Naira). Although the accused is said to have…
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said that Nigeria requires the support of the International community to facilitate the speedy recovery of her looted funds for national development. He also said that effective collaboration between the Nigerian anti-graft agencies and their foreign counterparts would aid other laudable actions of the government in the fight against corruption. Speaking at the weekend during the maiden meeting of International Corruption Hunters’ Network at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, he lauded the leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for taking advantage of the networking and knowledge transfer opportunities provided…
The Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Lagos, Mr. Ingo Herbert has assured the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of regular training opportunities for its staff. He gave the assurance in Lagos on Wednesday, at the presentation of certificate of participation to nine operatives of the EFCC, who, together with participants from other law enforcement agencies, benefited from a seven-day capacity building programme facilitated by the German government. The other agencies are the Department of State Services (DSS); National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). At…