The commencement of a trial-within-trial continued yesterday by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of a Federal High Court, Abuja on the case of a 2 billion naira fraud brought against a former Head of Service (HoS) to the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Oronsaye is being charged along with Osarenkhoe Afe, managing director of Fedrick Hamilton Global Services Limited; Cluster Logistic Limited; Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, and Drew Investment & Construction Company Limited. They are alleged to have committed the fraudulent transactions between 2010 and 2011, using the companies for offences ranging from procurement fraud, to money laundering…
Author: Kunle Edun
A motion filed by Azibaola Robert, a cousin to the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has been struck out yesterday by Justice Candid Johnson of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere, Lagos State on grounds of lack of diligent prosecution. Azibaola had lost a similar motion before Justice O. O. Goodluck of the Federal High court sitting in Abuja. After the dismissal of his motion by the Abuja Court, Azibola filed two separate motions before Justice C. M. A Olatoregun of the Federal High Court, Lagos and Justice Candid Johnson of the Lagos High Court asking both courts to restrain…
The planned arraignment of a former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a N4.9 billion fraud was stalled due to the absence of Justice Sule Hassan of a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos State. Fani-Kayode, is being charged along with a former minister of finance, Nenadi Usman; Danjuma Yusuf, and a company, Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited by the EFCC on a 17-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, corruption and making cash payments exceeding the amount authorized by law. The defendants who were present in court were later taken back to EFCC custody…
Ibrahim Magu, the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has been lauded for his relentless effort to stamp out corruption and economic crimes from the Nigerian society. He received the commendation yesterday when 400-level undergraduate students of Public Administration and Political Science, Adamawa State University, Yola, visited the EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja. Leader of the delegation, Miyatafadi Pwafeno, who described Magu as a model and a pride to the nation in the anti-graft war, urged Nigerians to support the Commission to tame the monster of corruption and move the country forward. ‘‘The visit is very important in our…
An aide to former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, Ja’afaru Maliki, was arraigned by The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today along with Vwapamkai Bafyau, director of Rural Access Mobility Project/World Bank; Farouk Abdullahi Tarja, director, Civil Works; James Zarma and Suleiman Mohammed, both deputy permanent secretaries, and Mamman Malgwi, a permanent secretary, before Justice Balkisu Aliyu of a Federal High Court, Yola, Adamawa State. They are facing a nine-count charge bordering on procurement fraud and diversion of funds to the tune of N700 million. The funds were meant for the development of the Yola bye-pass Phase 1 road…
Justice Fatun Riman of a Federal High Court, Kano, on June 9, 2016 granted the application of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to try a former Skye Bank staff, Yagana Bukar, in absentia on a 10-count charge bordering on money laundering. Bukar was first arraigned in October 2013 and was granted bail. The accused person, however, absconded shortly after the commencement of trial. Prosecuting counsel, M. S. Abubakar, had applied to the court, pursuant to Section 352(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, to continue with the trial despite the absence of the defendant. Abubakar told…
The acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has charged professional bodies in the country to join hands with the Commission in the fight against corruption and economic crimes. Speaking at a workshop on the “Role of Professionals in the Fight Against Corruption” at the Rockview Hotel, Abuja on Friday, June 17, 2016, he said: “Instead of conniving with people to launder the proceeds of corruption, I beg you to join hands with the EFCC to fight corruption”. “Many professionals celebrate criminality by doing a lot to foster corruption, which adds more to money laundering. I…
The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Waziri Adio, has expressed the readiness of his agency to collaborate with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in tackling corruption in the Nigeria by reporting serious infractions that violate the country’s constitution. He made this disclosure on Friday, June 17, 2016 during a courtesy visit to the acting Chairman EFCC, Ibrahim Magu at the Commission’s Head Office, Abuja. According to him, “we have an Act that criminalise certain behaviours; if people do not corporate with us, if people do not give us information on time, they are liable…
An inmate, Usman Umar, was on June 14 arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Idrisa Kolo of the Federal High Court, Kano, on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence. Umar, who is currently serving a four-year jail term for a separate offence for which he was prosecuted by the EFCC, was arraigned for allegedly defrauding Jibrin Umar. He is expected to finish the jail term on June 30, 2016. One of the charges against him reads: “That you Usman Salis Umar sometime in 2013 at Kano within the jurisdiction of the Federal…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday, June 16 obtained conviction on a case of suspected Money Laundering brought against Samuel Duru before Justice M.N Yinusa of the Federal High Court, Enugu. Duru was charged for failure to declare the sum of Eighty Six Thousand United States Dollars ($86,000.00) out of a total sum of $96,000 (ninety six thousand United States Dollars) in contravention of Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2011. The accused was arrested by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu while travelling to China…