The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, says the Commission is not adverse to constructive criticisms that can ensure victory in the war against corruption. He said the Commission’s doors were open to meaningful contributions from individuals and organisations with good intentions in the efforts to stamp out economic and financial crimes from the Nigerian society. Speaking during a meeting with members of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria, CCOSGIN, on Thursday in his office in Abuja, Lamorde said the success so far recorded by the Commission in the war against corruption would not have…
Author: Kunle Edun
Justice Valentine Ashi of the FCT High Court sitting in Apo on Wednesday, August 12, 2015 expressed his dissatisfaction at what he believes to be a deliberate delay tactics on the part of counsel for Emmanuel Ehidiamhem Okoyomon, former Managing Director of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, NSPMC, whose extradition to the United Kingdom, UK, has been ordered by a Federal High Court, Abuja. Okoyomon’s extradition is being sought by the UK government over his alleged role in the bribery allegation involving officials of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the NSPMC and Securency International Pty of Australia between 2006…
The Director, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, Francis Usani, has charged all regulatory and law enforcement agencies in the country to work together towards achieving the set objective of the National Risks Assessment (NRA) project initiated in 2013. He also urged them to understand the attendant challenges, while making concerted efforts to surmount them within the 18-months time line. Usani stated this on Tuesday, August 11, 2015 during a one-day sensitization workshop for select regulatory and law enforcement agencies in Nigeria at the Chelsea Hotel, Abuja. In his welcome address, he said the workshop was organized to afford the various…
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, has thrown a strong challenge to Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, in the country to look inwards and fully support the anti-graft agency in its concerted efforts aimed at ridding the country of economic and financial crimes. The comments of the agency’s boss, which were made at a Share Fair workshop, tagged “Fulfilling its mandate: Government Leading Anti-Corruption Efforts”, organized by the CLEEN Foundation, held on August 11, 2015 at the auditorium of the Bolton White Hotel, in Abuja, comes on the heels of an orchestrated “protest” staged at the…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, August 12, 2015, arraigned the duo of Yazidu Abdullahi and Auwal Tahir Aliyu before Justice Rabi T. Umar of Bauchi State High Court on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N 780,000.00k( Seven Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira). The suspects, who are members of a syndicate, allegedly perpetrated the fraud using a forged document, Right of Occupancy on a property with title No (BA/28150) situated at Fadaman Mada, Bauchi State. The suspects allegedly used the forged documents to sell the…
The Director, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, Francis Usani, has charged all regulatory and law enforcement agencies in the country to work together towards achieving the set objective of the National Risks Assessment (NRA) project initiated in 2013.He also urged them to understand the attendant challenges, while making concerted efforts to surmount them within the 18-months time line.Usani stated this on Tuesday, August 11, 2015 during a one-day sensitization workshop for select regulatory and law enforcement agencies in Nigeria at the Chelsea Hotel, Abuja.In his welcome address, he said the workshop was organized to afford the various regulatory agencies the…
A crack team of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, August 6, 2015 arrested one Kato Ifrahimu Nyam and Godwin Odali, both staff of a new generation bank for conspiring to defraud the bank to the tune of N3.6bn (three billion, six million naira) with an e-payment mandate purportedly from Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.The suspects, who operate as syndicate, sometime in June 2015, through their cronies submitted an e-payment mandate of N1.4bn (one billion, four hundred million naira) to Zenith bank and Access bank Plc.The banks, sensing a foul play after noticing…
Justice Ibrahim Mairiga of the Kebbi State High Court has convicted Suleiman Ibrahim Musa, Bilyaminu Usman and Lawal Suleiman on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, theft and criminal breach of trust brought against them by the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and sentenced them to 91 years in prison.The convicts, who are former members of staff of FinBank Plc (acquired by First City Monument Bank Plc in 2011), Birnin-Kebbi branch in Kebbi State, were first arraigned on July 21, 2010, and had pleaded not guilty to the charges.Musa, who was then the head of operations, defrauded the…
Justice Valentine Ashi of the FCT High Court sitting in Apo on Wednesday, August 5, 2015 adjourned to August 12, 2015 for hearing on the preliminary objection raised by the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, to the bail application brought by Emmanuel Ehidiamhem Okoyomon, former Managing Director of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, NSPMC, whose extradition to United Kingdom, UK, has been ordered by a Federal High Court, Abuja.Justice E.S Chukwu had on May 4, 2015 ordered the extradition of Okoyomon to UK to face charges of corruption and money laundering.The judge also ordered him to be remanded…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Monday 3rd August 2015, arraigned one Bawa Momodu before Justice I.E Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on a 16-count charge bordering on forgery, uttering and stealing to the tune of Twenty Seven Million Naira (N27, 000.000.00)The petitioner, Sterling bank Plc, alleged that Momodu, a former staff of the bank, stole about Twenty Seven Million Naira (N27, 000.000.00) from the account of one of its customers.The accused allegedly forged the signature of the said account holder, and fraudulently withdrew the monies from the bank.Investigations further revealed…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, July 31, 2015 arraigned Ikenna Okwukwe, Somina Wokomo and Boma Morgan Ezekiel before Justice S.C. Amadi of the Rivers State High Court, Port Harcourt, on a 14-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing to the tune of Sixty Million, Four Hundred and Twenty Seven Thousand Naira (N60,427,000,00).Okwukwe, account officer to O.B Lulu Briggs Foundation allegedly conspired with Wokomo and Ezekiel, to steal the said sum from the foundation’s account with a new generation bank in Port Harcourt, using cheques in his custody to make payments to individuals that had no dealings…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured the conviction of one Esowane Henry Rotechi, who was prosecuted before Justice C.N Mbonu-Nweyi of Anambra State High Court, Onitsha on an 8-count charge that borders on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and forgery, to the tune of N252, 000.00 (two Hundred and fifty two thousand naira). The convict had pleaded not guilty when he was first arraigned on July 12, 2012. Esowane’s brush with the law started on December 21, 2010 when he presented himself as the legal adviser to the Chancellor of Enugu State University of Technology, in which…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, July 29, 2015 arraigned one Umar Yusuf and Ibrahim Ahmed Bebeji, both former clerks of National Orthopedic Hospital, Dala, Kano State before Justice Dije Aboki of the State High Court, Kano on a 3-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and theftYusuf and Bebeji, between January and September, 2013 allegedly conspired and fraudulently altered information on official revenue receipts in their custody for services rendered to individuals. An audit report carried out by the Hospital Management revealed that, the sum of N3,331,167 (three million, three hundred and thirty one thousand, one…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, July 24, 2015, arraigned six persons before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja on a 17 count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and forgery.The six accused persons – Festus Onile, Olawale Garuba, Abiodun Afainiya, Jayeola Afolabi David, Yewande Adeyemi and Adetoun Kammal, were arrested by the Commission sequel to a petition from a new generation bank which alleged fraudulent transfers and withdrawals of N31 million through ATM and Point of Sale, POS, from the account of one of its customers.One of the counts reads: “Festus Onile, Olawale Garuba…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned 10 persons and a vessel, MV Peace for their alleged involvement in illegal oil bunkering before Justice Muhammad B. Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos on a three count charge bordering on conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products. MV Peace and its crew members – James Abatan, Wasiu Abdul Owonikoko, Patrick Ameh, Johnson Ademola, Felix Otto, Chigozie Oguike, Olu Salisu, Jomo Gadagbe, Kunle Oba Saheed and Rasheed Adio were intercepted about five nautical miles off Lagos Fairway Buoy by the Nigerian Navy Ship Ikot-Abasi on the 4th of April…
The trial of a former Head of Service, HoS, to the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, and his co-accused person, Osarenkhoe Afe, who are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for a N2 billion fraud, witnessed a new twist July 21, 2015 when Justice Gabriel Kolawale of the Federal High Court, Abuja, said he intended to return the case file to the Chief Judge for reassignment. Tuesday’s proceeding was for the hearing of the bail applications filed by Oronsaye and his co-accused, who are alleged to have been complicit in using two companies – Federick Hamilton Global Services…
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, on July 13, 2015 arrested one Mohammed Adamu (aka Mohammed Bala) for parading himself as a staff of the anti-graft agency.Adamu was picked up while extorting money from Alhaji Usman Gurama, the Executive Secretary, Gombe State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board, under the guise of securing Hajj seat to Saudi Arabia for staff of the Gombe zone of the Commission. Investigations by the Commission revealed that the suspect had written a letter to the executive secretary of the pilgrims board, requesting for money to give to staff of EFCC for the pilgrimage to Mecca.…
The alleged case of wrongful dismissal brought against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, by Juliet Ibekaku, a former assistant director, Legal and Prosecution, before Justice Babatunde A. Adejumo of the National Industrial Court, NIC, continued Tuesday, July 14, 2015 with the EFCC Secretary, Emmanuel Aremo, telling the court that Ibekaku consistently ignored invitations sent to her by the Appointment, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee, APDC.Ibekaku was dismissed along with Michael Nzekwe, a prosecutor in Legal and Prosecution Department for desertion which is a serious offence against discipline going by the provisions of Section 43(e) (i) of the EFCC Staff…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 arraigned Oladimeji Mohammed Edun, a former member, Kwara State House of Assembly, alongside his company, Zarab Ventures Limited, before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the High Court of Kwara State sitting in Ilorin on a 3-count charge bordering on criminal diversion of funds.Edun, allegedly secured a contract for his company, Zarab Ventures Limited, for drilling of 43 motorized boreholes across different locations in the State under the Millennium Development Goals – Conditional Grant Scheme, project to the tune of N82.5m (eighty-two million, five hundred thousand naira) between 2008 and…
Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on July 13, 2015 fixed the trial of a former Head of Service, HoS, Stephen Oronsaye, and two others who were brought before it by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 24-count charge bordering on stealing and obtaining money by false pretence for October 28, 29; November 3, 5 and December 2, 2015 respectively.Oronsaye, who is alleged to have been complicit in several contract awards during his tenure as HoS is being charged along with Osarenkhoe Afe. They are alleged to have committed the fraudulent transactions between 2010…