The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, July 2, 2014 arraigned Gboyega Tifase before Justice Sedoten Ogunsanyan of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja on a 3-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining goods under false pretences and issuance of dud cheques.Tifase, allegedly defaulted in remitting the sum of N7.7million (Seven Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Naira only), being the proceeds that should accrue to Barrister Abolanle Shittu, for the supply of five vehicles to him for sale. Shittu reportedly offered the five vehicles to Tifase in the sum of N9.9million( Nine Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira only) but Tifase…
Author: Kunle Edun
Justice Lawal Akapo of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, on Friday June 27, 2014, dismissed an application filed by Mahmud Tukur and Ochonogor Alex, praying the court to quash charges preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.The judge dismissed the application for lack of merit and abuse of court processes.In his ruling, Justice Akapo upheld the prosecution’s argument that “the issue of sufficiency of proof of evidence cannot be raised until the prosecution had closed its case”. According to the judge, “this argument is vital and renders the application premature”. It would be recalled that,…
Justice Lateefa Okunnu of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, today stopped further attempts by a former Managing Director of Bank PHB, Mr. Francis Atuche to delay trial in a N27.5Billion suit instituted against him and two other defendants by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.At the resumed trial of the case on Wednesday, EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro SAN, insisted that the defence team, led by Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, call Atuche or his wife Elizabeth, to the witness box, following their failure to produce a witness who, according to them, was meant to come in from Abuja, but…
A former banker with one of the old generation banks, Oreoluwa Adesakin, was on Wednesday, June 25, 2014, arraigned before Justice O.M Olagunju of an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, on a 15-count charge bordering on stealing by fraudulent conversion, contrary to Section 390 (8) (C) Cap 38 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.The accused person who was in charge of Western Union Money Transfer at First Bank Nigeria Plc, allegedly used her office to convert a total sum of $ 368,203.00(Three Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand, Two Hundred and Three United States Dollars) for…
The ongoing trial of seven persons accused of complicity in the police pension scam, continued on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 before Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.The seven accused persons who are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are; Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, Uzoma Cyril Attang and Christian Madubuke. The accused persons, who allegedly defrauded the Police Pension Office to the tune of N24billion, were arraigned on April 10, 2013 on a 20-count amended charge that borders on criminal…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Tuesday June 24, 2014 arraigned six suspected oil thieves; Adelaja David, Adedara Temitope, Bayo Edema, Alowakenu Mathew, Ojga Aghedo, Dauda Usman alongside their Vessel, MT CERGEN D, before Justice Iyang E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on a two-count charge bordering on illegal dealing in petroleum product. They pleaded not guilty to the charges.The accused were arrested sometime in Mach, 2014 by men of the Central Naval Command, Nigerian Navy, Yenagoa alongside their vessel, loaded with 2,356,000 litres of suspected crude oil and were handed over to the EFCC for…
Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court, Gombe today sentenced one Khalil Ahmed Bappa, 29, who claims to be a GLO Ambassador, to 24 months imprisonment for fraudulently extorting goods and money worth N267, 000 from a female student of Bayero University, Kano, Yusra Ali Babakusa, with assurances of making her a Glo Ambassador.Khalil who has been standing trial on charges bordering on obtaining by false pretences surprisingly changed his plea midway by pleading guilty to the 2-count charge. Troubles for Khalil started sometime in 2012 when he presented himself as a GLO agent and promised to help…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has charged stakeholders in the Nigerian capital market to be transparent and operate by the rules guiding the market.Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, gave the charge Tuesday at the Joint EFCC-Nigerian Stock Exchange Awareness Programme in Lagos.Lamorde, who spoke through the Commission’s Deputy Director, Public Affairs Osita Nwajah, observed that the Stock Exchange was the life wire of the ordinary Nigerian, who is daily investing in stocks and shares, and who must be assured that his investments are being handled with utmost integrity and transparency. “….the stock market is literally…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has closed its case against the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeniyi Ikuforiji. Counsel to the EFCC in the N503 scam suit preferred against the Speaker, Godwin Obla, SAN, told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday, that he had already presented two witnesses before the court and was satisfied with their testimony. “I am satisfied with the evidence brought so far, I will not be calling more witnesses”, he said. Counsel to Ikuforiji, Wole Olanipekun , SAN, prayed the court for a date in order to file…
Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde has said that, cyber security is crucial to the quest for growth and development of the economy.He stated this on Thursday, while delivering a Keynote Address at the National Cybersecurity Forum held in Lagos. According to him, the increasing usage of internet by Nigerians, is heavily strengthening online economy, and buoying up other indices of development across the country. However, the security of the cyber space, he says, becomes imperative, not only to ensure the growth of the economy, but also to safeguard it against local and…
Justice O. A. Adeniyi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Thursday, June 19, 2014, convicted and sentenced the duo of Abdulmalik Suleiman a.k.a Ndanussa Bello and Adabenege Abdulaziz a.k.a Comrade Patrick Ugo to 10 years imprisonment for impersonation, conspiracy, forgery and attempting to obtain money by false pretence.The convicts were arraigned in May 2009 on 11-count charge of attempting to defraud one John Bernand Yusuf of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) Abuja by pretending to be operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The convicts had asked Yusuf to pay five…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today, June 18, 2014 arraigned one Kelechi Kingsley before Justice Dije Abdu Aboki of Kano State High Court on a four count charge of obtaining money by false pretense.The accused person allegedly hoodwinked one Adamu Ibrahim through a phone call to part with the sum of N370, 000 (Three Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira Only) under the pretence of awarding him a contract to supply building materials One of the count reads: “That you Kelechi Kinsgley (a.k.a Ajogun Alvan) and Ejike (a.k.a Sulaiman BUK) (At large) sometime in November 2012 at Kano within the…
Justice F.A Ojo of the FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja today, June 18, 2014 granted bail to Mary Okoh alias Josephine Williams, a business woman who was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for offences bordering on fraud and forgery.The accused person was granted bail in the sum of N5m (five million naira) and two sureties in like sum. The sureties must have landed properties within the Federal Capital Territory and must swear to affidavit of means. In addition, the accused person is to report to EFCC Head Office on every first and last Monday…
Eleven suspected oil thieves and their vessel were on Monday June 16, 2014 handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation by theNigerian Navy.The suspects and a merchant tanker (MT PETROITTI), formerly known as MB VILVOORDER were handed over to the EFCC by Lieutenant Commander O. C Odaja, who represented the Commander of the Delta Naval Base, Warri. He said the suspects were arrested aboard the vessel sometime in May, 2014, with substances suspected to be crude oil.The suspected oil thieves include: Ephraim Akpan (the captain), Agadagba Ochuko, Clement Tommy, Oyayefa Abonne and Bousou Kereotu.…
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday, June 17th, 2014 adjourned proceedings in the trial of a former Governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani.Justice M.N. Yunusa, in granting the prayers of Counsel to the former Governor, Oluyele Delana, SAN, said that ill- health was an important issue normally considered in criminal matters. Earlier, Delana had informed the court that Nnamani was seriously sick. According to him, the former Governor had undergone “quadruple-bypass, an open heart surgery”. He also said that, “while there is relative success with regards to the heart surgery, he has to undergo slow recovery process”. “A…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday June 16, 2014, arraigned Clifford Nduka Nwachukwu and Jethrow Nigeria Limited before Justice Kudirat Jose of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja on one- count charge bordering on stealing.Nwachukwu’s problems began, sometime in January 2013, when Jethrow Limited, a company owned by him , was awarded a contract to refurbish, rehabilitate and re-install six (6) Steel Skirt Navigational Marking Buoys at Calabar Port, for a total sum of N27million( Twenty-Seven Million Naira only), by Abhal Ventures Limited through Alhaji Abu Mohammed. N15, 000,000(Fifteen Million Naira only) was reportedly given to Jethrow Nigeria…
The Nigerian Army on Friday June 13, 2014 handed over six suspected oil thieves and three vessels to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation and possible prosecution. The suspects; Benard Omoaiwua, Tony Okundia, Osahenrumwen Osaguona, Osaro Arasomwan, Aaron Idahosa Terry, and Blessed Goodluck were arrested by officers of the Guards Brigade, Nigerian Army at the Abaji Military check point, Abuja with three trucks, each loaded with thirty three thousand litres (33,000) of suspected crude oil.Colonel MT Usman said the suspects were arrested on May 31, 2014 on their way to Abuja, from Warri, Delta State.At the…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, June 16, 2014 arraigned Adedamola Ogungbayibi, Olaniran Olabode, Suraju Gasali, Moses Emmanuel, Wilson Bonsi, Padoun Kayode Jacob, Okparaodi Omaka Uche and Onyeogo Happy, before Justice Saliu Seidu of the Federal High Court, Lagos on a 5-count charge bordering on conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum product.When the charges were read to them, they all pleaded not guilty. One of the charges reads:”That you MT Good Success, Hepa Global Energy Limited, Adedamola Ogungbayibi, Olaniran Olabode, Suraju Gasali, Moses Emmanuel, Wilson Bonsi, Padonu kayode Jacob, Okparaodi Omaka Uche and Onyeogo Happy on or…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has declared wanted one Azmat Mohmood for his alleged involvement in petroleum subsidy scam. Mohmood a German citizen of Pakistani-extraction is an international petroleum trader, whose company, Nimex Petroleum Limited is involved in a case for which ASB Investment, Aro Samuel Bamidele and Abiodun Kayode Bankole are already standing trial before a Lagos State High Court, Ikeja. Briefing journalists at the Commission’s office, Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media and Publicity, stated that Nimex Petroleum Limited is the company that allegedly sold and shipped 38,010,413 litres of Premium Motor Spirit to the defendants – ASB…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday June 13, 2014 arraigned one Henry Azuike before Justice Sylvanus Chinedu Oriji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Apo, Abuja on a 13-count charge of attempting to obtain money under false pretence from friends and associates of a former presidential aide and top official of Edo State government, Professor Julius Ihonvbere.He allegedly hacked into Prof. Ihonvbere’s email and began sending messages to his contacts, asking them to pay money into an account with a new generation bank.The accused pleaded not guilty to the 13-count charge when it was…