The trial of a former Governor of Gombe State Danjuma Goje, continued today before Justice B.O Quadri of the Federal High Court sitting in Gombe, Gombe State, with the lead defence counsel, Adeniyi Akintola, SAN cross examining a prosecution witness, Solomon Okotie, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, on some of the exhibits tendered by the prosecution. However, prosecuting counsel, Wahab Shittu objected to the defence’s line of questioning, accusing Akintola, SAN, of abandoning the substance of the charge and preoccupying himself with matters peripheral.According to him, “The defence counsel is just a campaigner because he never addressed the charges against…
Author: Kunle Edun
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC today March 18, 2015 arraigned one Victor Udeh before Justice A.M Bayero of State High Court Kano on one count charge bordering on issuance of dud cheque to the tune of N2,300,000.00 ( two million, three hundred thousand naira ). Udeh who is the managing director of Vidoc Universal Concepts Limited Kano got a N2million facility from an old generation bank and was required to repay the loan along with the interest before May 30, 2012. He consequently issued a post dated cheque No. 2772654 (May 26, 2012) which, upon presentation, was returned…
Mohammed Bello Abubakar, former permanent secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sokoto State, and Abubakar Abdullahi Ahmed, a former deputy director in the ministry, being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 43-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and money laundering, were on Wednesday, March 18, 2015 re-arraigned before Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Sokoto. The trial of the two civil servants, who are being prosecuted for evidently living beyond their means (as the extent of their assets is not commensurate with their legitimate source of income), actually began in May…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, March 16, 2015, secured another conviction, as the duo of Ugochuku Obi and Markel Daniel were sentenced to five years imprisonment without an option of fine by Justice M. A Onyetenu of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The convicts, were prosecuted on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and felony, following their arrest by officers of the Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) during a joint operation with the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, River State.Count one reads: ‘’That you Ugochuku Obi and Markel Daniel on or about…
The trial of Imaobong Akon Esu-Nte, Head, Capital Accounts Unit, Nigeria Prison Service commenced today March 17, 2015 before Justice Adegbola Adeniyi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja, with the prosecution witness telling the court how the accused awarded multi-million naira contracts to her companies. First prosecution witness Sini Omar John, a Superintendent of Police with the EFCC, while being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Aso Larrys Peters, told the court that Esu-Nte, during investigation, was found to be a civil servant on Grade Level 14 in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation…
Justice A. M Bayero of Kano State High Court sitting in Kano on Tuesday, March 17, 2015 convicted and sentenced one Anas Usman Adam to eighteen months imprisonment on a 2-count charge of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Adam was allegedly contacted by one Hajia Amina Abdulhamid Yakubu sometime in 2013 to help her secure three Saudi Arabia visas for the purpose of performing the lesser Hajj. According to the complainant, the visas allegedly procured by the convict, were all rejected upon presentation at the airport when it was…
Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibarhim Lamorde has promised to build a robust relationship with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, NLRC, in fighting the menace of lottery scam and other unwholesome practices in the lottery sector. Lamorde gave the assurance on Tuesday, March 17, 2015 while signing a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the NLRC on ways to effectively combat fraud in the lottery sector in Nigeria. The EFCC boss assured that, the Commission would spare no effort towards cleaning up the industry of cheats and illegal lottery operators. “We will do our best to bring violators of laws…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, March 16, 2015 arraigned a banker, Arome Augustine Suleiman and one Etu Yusufu Idoko before Justice Peter Kekemeke of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Apo, Abuja on a 2-count charge of conspiracy and theft. Suleiman allegedly engaged in divulging information on the account of customers as well as their mandate details to fraudsters. Specifically, he provided account details of customers to Idoko through which they both conspired to steal money from their account. One of the counts reads: “That you, Arome Augustine Suleiman and Etu Yusufu Idoko sometime in…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today March 16, 2015 arraigned one Ogbonaya Chibuzor before Justice D.V Agishir of the Federal High Court Enugu, Enugu State for offences bordering on advanced fee fraud and obtaining money by false pretence. Chibuzor who was docked on a 5-count charge however pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him. Consequently, the prosecuting counsel M.A Shehu urged the court to remand the accused person in prison custody pending trial as he had earlier jumped the administrative bail granted him by the Commission.One of the counts in the charge against Chibuzor reads: “That…
The trial of a former presidential aspirant, Emmanuel Osita Okereke and Ishmeal Chinyere slated to commence on Monday, March 16, 2015 before Justice Abubakar Talba of an FCT High Court sitting in Gudu, Abuja could not proceed as planned as the prosecution’s witness was reportedly unfit to be in court. Okereke and Chinyere are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for offences bordering on impersonation, forgery and criminal conspiracy to the tune of N1,145,000 (one million, one hundred and forty five thousand naira). Specifically, the accused persons allegedly forged a document of a federal government titled “Restricted,…
No fewer than 45 members of the Network of Anti-Corruption Agencies in West Africa on Friday, March 13, 2015 visited the EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja, to assess the facilities at the institution. Ayo Olowonihi, Commandant of the Academy, who received the visitors, told them that the institute which started as a one-block Academy has grown, becoming the resource base of the Commission where Cadets and newly employed officers undergo training at the point of entry. He said the Academy has up-dated facilities to host conferences, seminars and trainings for anti-corruption personnel not only in Nigeria but the Africa sub- region.…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, wishes to alert the public about a letter supposedly from the office of the Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, mandating the Commission to initiate discreet investigation against some prominent political figures in the country. The commission urges the public to discountenance the said letter as it is forged document, intended to mislead the people. The features of the letter are markedly different from that on a genuine letter from the office of the Chief of Staff to the president. As evidence that this is a clear forgery, we reproduce below the…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, notes with dismay, the views attributed to Mallam Garba Shehu, Director, Media and Publicity, of the Mohammadu Buhari Campaign Organization, accusing the leadership of the Commission, EFCC, of alleged corruption and insensitivity to staff welfare. Garba who spoke to journalists in Abuja yesterday claimed President Goodluck Jonathan has reduced the EFCC to a toothless bulldog which could not even bark. It is regrettable that Shehu, a spokesperson of a leading Presidential candidate with call the media to disparage a national agency that epitomize the nation’s fight against corruption. Were his views based on…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned Chief Ikechukwu Meregini, before Justice Kudirat Jose of the Lagos State High Court, sitting in Ikeja on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence. Meregini ran into trouble when a petitioner, M.S Securities Bureau De Change Limited, allegedly entered into a foreign exchange transaction with him, involving the sum of $45,000 ( Forty-Five Thousand United States Dollars). The money was paid into his domiciliary account, with an understanding that Meregini would pay the Naira equivalent to the petitioner within five (5) days of the transaction . Meregini allegedly…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today March 12, 2015, secured the conviction of one Chika Odinaka Ohaegbulem as a Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia Abia State, sentenced him to 7 years imprisonment on a14-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, impersonation and obtaining money by false pretences. Ohaegbulem was arraigned before Justice F. A Olubanjo on May 5, 2014, alongside three other members of a syndicate who specialise in stealing various investors’ dividend warrants, which they sold to Ohaegbulem for clearing.All the accused had pleaded not guilty but in the course of trial, Ohaegbulem changed he plea and offered…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on March 12, 2015 arraigned a former Chairman and Chief Accounting Officer of Hong Local Government Council, Adamawa State, Ibrahim Buba Gayus, on a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy, embezzlement, and diversion of public funds, fraud and abuse of office to the tune of N41.1m (Forty One Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira). Gayus who was arraigned before Justice B. B Aliyu of the Federal High Court Yola, Adamawa State, allegedly collected N50m (Fifty Million Naira) agric loan on behalf of members of staff but instead, gave out less than N10m (Ten Million Naira)…
Justice E. S Chukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on Thursday, March 12, 2015 threatened to revoke the bail granted by the court to one Joseph Amaechi and thirteen others who are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on charges of conspiracy and illegal oil bunkering. The other accused are: Israel Friday, Ubadia Francis, Abayomi Adebisi, Abdullahi Idris, Samuel Job, Onah Peter Ode, Sabo Tasha Hassan, Abdullahi Moh’d, Abubakar Abdulkadir, Ehiogu Paul, Ibrahim Saidu, Garba Mohammed and Bartholomew Onyema. The fourteen suspected oil thieves were docked on May 9, 2013, on a…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on March 10, 2015 arraigned Samuel Denedo, Okpako Ejiro and a company, Denox Trust MPCS Limited before Justice M.T Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Warri, Delta State on a 2- count charge bordering on Conspiracy and Obtaining Money by False Pretence to the tune of N643, 000.00 (Six Hundred and Forty Three Thousand Naira). The accused persons allegedly collected various sums of monies from unsuspecting members of the public under the guise of running an investment scheme, for which they were promised mouth watery interest.But they diverted the funds to their own…
A suspected fraudster, Emeofa Michael Ikechukwu (Alias Michael Briggs) was on March 10, 2015 docked before Justice H.A Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court Port Harcourt, Rivers State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 9-count charge bordering on personation, forgery and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of more than $127,457. The accused person allegedly obtained the sum from his Swiss girlfriend whom he tricked into investing in a non- existent timber business. Ikechukwu allegedly met his victim on a dating site in February 2013 and struck a relationship that blossomed into promise of…
Justice Abba B. Mohammed of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Jabi, Abuja on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 refused an application brought by one Ibrahim Mohammed Bashir and Steve Imokhe seeking to quash a 13-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, forgery, impersonation, criminal conversion and obtaining under false pretence preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Bashir and Imokhe, who are second and third accused persons in the suit respectively, are standing trial alongside Ibrahim Mohammed Kamba and Hassan Argungu, first accused and fourth accused respectively, for their criminal complicity in the sale…