The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on May 13, 2015 tendered the result of polygraph test conducted on Mrs. Rosulu Idowu Oluronke, a former Lagos Court Registrar standing trial for allegedly defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi of $300,000.EFCC’s polygraph expert and prosecution witness, Chinedu Enanya, who addressed the court on the result of the tests, said they showed that the defendant was deceitful. According to him, “the polygraph tests, after each examination, usually show whether the examinee was truthful or deceitful when asked relevant questions”. He explained that the tests could be pre-texts; in-texts…
Author: Kunle Edun
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 re-arraigned Mamman Ali, before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on an amended 49 counts of fuel subsidy fraud to the tune of N4.5bn. He is the son of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party and Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation in the last general elections, Senator Ahmadu Ali.Ali was arraigned alongside his two alleged accomplices – Christian Taylor and Nasaman Oil Services Limited, an oil-marketing firm. The re-arraignment of Ali followed the ‘disappearance’ of one Oluwaseun…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 arraigned the Kwara State Commissioner for Information, Prince Olatunji Oyeyemi Moronfoye, and Ope Saraki, cousin to Bukola Saraki, former governor of Kwara State and Senior Special Adviser on Millennium Development Goals to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, before Justice A.O Faji of the Federal High Court, Ilorin for offences bordering on abuse of office, awarding contracts to cronies, diversion of public funds and money laundering.Moronfoye was docked on a three count charge while Saraki who was arraigned alongside his companies: Cogent Integrated Service Nigeria Limited and Ladida Support Service Limited…
The trial of a Lagos Court Registrar, Mrs Rosulu Idowu Oluronke, accused of defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, General Ishaya Bamaiyi of $300,000 continued today before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja with legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, telling the court that he never offered any legal representation to Bamaiyi and could not have received payment to that effect by either Fred Ajudua or Oluronke.A prosecution witness from Afe Babalola’s Chamber, Adebayo Olanipekun (SAN) told the court presided over by Justice Lawal Akapo, that the law firm never took a brief from General Bamaiyi and did…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned one Mutairu Laisi before Justice Kudirat Jose of Lagos State High Court, sitting in Ikeja on a twelve- count charge bordering on fraudulent accounting and stealing.Laisi was alleged to have fraudulently manipulated a customer’s account with the former Intercontinental Bank Plc( now Access Bank) and in the process withdrew a total sum of N5,000,000.00( Five Million Naira only). When the charges were read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty to them. One of the charges reads: “Mutairu Laisi on or about 26th day of March, 2009 at Lagos within the…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, May 11, 2015 arraigned Uchenna Nwako, Ejikeme Oluchukwu, Nnamani Ikechukwu, Ibeh kodili Martins and Nwako Victoria Ifeoma before Justice D.V Agishir of the Federal High Court, Enugu, on a 16-count charge bordering on intent to defraud and obtaining N26,338,000 by false pretence.The five accused persons were picked up by EFCC operatives on February 27, 2013 after intelligence reports indicated that they were involved in fraudulent activities bordering on cybercrime. Part of the charge read: “That you Uchenna Nwako, Ejikme Oluchukwu, Nnamani Ikechukwu, Ibeh Kodili Martins and Nwako Victoria Ifeoma sometime in…
Billionaire lawyer and Chief Executive of Bi-Courtney Limited, Chief Wale Babalakin has approached a Federal High Court, Lagos for an ex-parte order to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from arresting or prosecuting him for alleged corruption and money laundering.Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, had on February 23, 2015 discharged Babalakin, who along with Alex Okoh, Stabilini Visioni Limited, Bi-Courtney Limited and Renix Nigeria Limited, was being prosecuted by the EFCC for alleged N4.7bn scam. But, rather than appeal Justice Lawal-Akapo’s ruling, the EFCC had settled for fresh charges against Babalakin…
The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a publication sponsored by Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, that appeared in some online news portals and Thisday Newspaper of Monday, May 11, 2015 alleging witchhunt of two former EFCC officers, Juliet Ibakaku and Michael Nzekwe, by the Commission.The sponsored publication is a reaction to the half page disclaimer published on the two officers on Friday, May 7, 2015, which primarily sought to alert the public that the ex-officers have long ceased to be in the employment of the Commission and anyone who had dealings with them inspite of…
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, on Friday, May 8, 2015 charged fresh cadets of the Commission to imbibe its core values, which include integrity, courage, professionalism, leadership and partnership.He stated this during the passing out ceremony of the EFCC Detective Superintendent Cadet Course 6 and Detective Intermediate Cadet Course 3 at the EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja. According to Lamorde, the 85 cadets who had just completed a six-month basic law enforcement training, received the “best possible initiation into the community of law enforcement.” He said the cadets, in the course of their training,…
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission on Thursday May 7, 2015 arraigned the duo of Muhammed Yau Gital and Sani Abba, both senior officials of the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory, before Justice O. C Akpaza of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on a 4-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, obtaining by false pretence and abuse of office.Gital, former Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed and Abba, Deputy Director, Mass Housing at the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA allegedly conspired and defrauded one Chief Duru Mike Ejiogu, managing director of Visioni…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 arraigned the trio of Mohammed Zahradeen Bello, Abdullahi Musa and Yusuf Baba before Justice I. U Bello of Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on a 5-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence, conspiracy and forgery.The suspects allegedly conspired and stole a Right of Occupancy belonging to Freelands Estate Limited from the custody of Abuja Geographic Information Systems, AGIS. Count one reads: “That you Mohammed Zahradeen Bello, Abdullahi Musa and Yusuf Baba sometime in February, 2012 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC will on Thursday, May 7, 2015 arraign two senior officials of the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory over land scam.They are: Muhammed Yau Gital, former Chief of Staff to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Bala Mohammed and Sani Abba, Deputy Director, Mass Housing at the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA. The duo will be docked before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Jabi for offences bordering on criminal breach of trust, obtaining by false pretence and abuse of office. Gital and Abba allegedly conspired and defrauded one Chief Duru Mike Ejiogu,…
A 19-year-old suspected internet fraudster Ojosipe Adebayo, has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice A.O Ipaye of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja on a two- count -charge bordering on possession of a document containing false pretences and forgery.The defendant is allegedly a member of a syndicate of internet fraudsters that specialize in using fake cheques and scam mails to defraud unsuspecting victims. When the charges were read to the accused person, he pleaded not guilty. One of the charges read: “That you Ojosipe Adebayo (a.k.a. “Marty Jason” and “Candice”) on or about the…
Justice E. S Chukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on Monday, May 4, 2015 ordered the extradition of Emmanuel Okoyomon, former managing director and chief executive officer, Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, NSPM, to the United Kingdom to face charges of corruption and money laundering.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 Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, NSPM and Securency International Pty of Australia between 2006 and 2008. Arguing the matter, Alex Izinyon, SAN, counsel to…
Three former bank employees: Amina Magaji, Haruna Bulama Namadi and Muhammed Abdullahi (at large) were today arraigned before Justice Faruk Lawan of the Kano State High Court Kano for defrauding the Late Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ado Bayero to the tune of Seventeen Million Naira. The principal accused person, Magaji was appointed account officer to the late Monarch to oversee his account domiciled in one of the old generation banks in 2011. She reactivated the account which had been dormant for forty seven years and proceeded to withdraw monies in bits to the tune of N17, 060,000 (seventeen…
In a scandalous replay of the episode, a few years back, when Justice Abdullahi Kafarati, then of the Federal High Court Enugu, offered an option of N3.5million fine to Lucky Igbinedion, former governor of Edo State for corruption offences, his younger brother, Michael Igbinedion who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for siphoning N25billion from the Edo state treasury during the period his elder brother held the reins as chief executive, today received a fine of N3million from Justice J. Liman of the Federal High Court, Benin .The anti-climactic denouement to a trial that was…
The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal today affirmed the jurisdiction of Lagos High Court, Ikeja to entertain the N1.9billion oil subsidy theft charge brought against Walter Wagbatsoma, Adaoha Ugo- Ndagi and Ontario Oil & Gas Limited by the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission, EFCC.In a lead ruling delivered by Justice Amina Augie, the appellate court knocked off the three grounds on which Wagbatsoma and others objected to the ruling of the lower court affirming its jurisdiction and ordered accelerated hearing of the matter. Wagbatsoma’s grounds of appeal rested on the fact that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to…
Justice J. Liman of the Federal High Court Benin, Edo State, today convicted Michael Igbinedion, younger brother to Lucky Igbinedion, former Edo State governor, and Charles Eboigbodin .The duo alongside their companies; Gava Corporation Limited; Romrig Nigeria Limited; PML Securities Company Limited and PML Nigeria Limited, were prosecuted on an 81-count charge of money laundering, misappropriation of funds and abuse of office brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.The convicts had pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned, setting the stage for a full trail. In the course of trial, the prosecution called several witnesses to…
The trial of a former governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje, along with three others, who are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on charges bordering on conspiracy and money laundering, before Justice B. O. Quadri of the Federal High Court, Gombe, continued on April 29, 2015 with the prosecution presenting more evidence against the accused persons.Prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu, presented documents to prove the alleged fraudulent transactions carried out between 2003 and 2011.Accepted by the court as exhibits J and K, they showed suspicious transactions with respect to the supply of food items to…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned a travel agent, Safiyanu Umar, at the Kano State High Court on a four count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.Umar had defrauded Salisu Bkeke along with eight others to the tune of N3, 050,000 in the guise of helping them obtain visa, air ticket, transportation and accommodation in Saudi Arabia for the 2013 lesser Hajj. Efforts of the victim to either secure the documents or get a refund of his money were futile, as the suspect became incommunicado. One of the charges read: “That you Alhaji…