Author: Kunle Edun

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 arraigned a Port Harcourt businessman, Christian N. Odum, before Justice U. N Agomoh of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, on charges bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and obtaining money under false pretence. Odum is alleged to have used his company, Unichris International Limited to defraud Peter Akinyosoye, under false pretence, by claiming to be working for the Nigeria National Petroleum Company, NNPC. Odum, and Stanley Alozie, who is still at large, defrauded Akinyosoye, on July 6, 2012 obtaining the sum of N640,000 from him under the pretence that…

Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced one Benjamin Segun Bright to 63 years imprisonment without option of fine.The convict was arraigned on July 10, 2012 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for stealing the sum of N4,994,000( Four Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Four Thousand Naira only) from various investors, whom he deceived, by making them believed that their money would be invested in his purported companies. The convict pleaded not guilty at the point of arraignment. He went through trial and was found guilty of all the twenty-one…

It was the end of road for a fraudster on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 when Justice Dije Aboki of the Kano State High Court, Kano convicted and sentenced one Ibrahim Hassan popularly known as Comptroller Kangiwa, to ten (10) years and six months imprisonment without option of fine in a case of conspiracy, personation and obtaining by false pretence instituted against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.Hassan who was prosecuted on a four count charge, allegedly obtained the sum of N11, 074,500.00 (Eleven Million, Seventy Four Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) from one Alhaji Balarabe Sumaila, at Kano.…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on December 17, 2014 at a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, arraigned nine persons for offences bordering on illegally dealing in petroleum products. Clement Oguntuwase, Joseph Obie, Ifeoluwa Albert, Adams Amzat Akokhia, Isaac Ndidi Chima, Rafiu Momodu, Rasaq Mahmud, Godwin George, and Thomas Daniel were arraigned before Justice Lambo Akanbi on a 2-count charge of conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products. The accused persons were intercepted aboard MB SKYE by men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield on November 14, 2014 in Brass waters, close to Nigeria…

Justice E. S. Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 adjourned ruling on the extradition proceedings brought by the office of Attorney General of the Federation against former managing director of Nigeria Security Minting and Printing Company, NSMPC, Ehidiamhem Okoyomon, to January 23, 2015.Okoyomon is wanted in the United Kingdom over his alleged role in the bribery scandal involving officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the NSMPC and Securency International Pty of Australia between 2006 and 2008. In a bid to stall his extradition to the UK for trial over the alleged bribe…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 arraigned a Lagos business woman and legal practitioner, Stella Achebe, before Justice S. S. Ogunsanya of the Lagos State High Court, sitting in Ikeja on one-count charge bordering on issuance of dud cheque.Specifically, Achebe allegedly issued a Diamond Bank cheque for the sum of N2, 000,000.00(Two Million Naira only), in favour of one Daniel Ebinoh of Leinadibanie Nigeria Limited, but was dishonoured on the ground of insufficient funds. When the charge was read to her, she pleaded not guilty. The charge reads: “Stella Achebe on or about 3rd December,…

Justice A.A. Akinyemi of an Ogun State High Court, sitting in Abeokuta, has convicted Kingswill Chiekezie and sentenced him to ten years imprisonment, for stealing the sum of N6,354,300.00 ( Six Million, Three Hundred and Fifty- Four Thousand, Three Hundred Naira only) belonging to Golden Rossy General Merchandise Limited.He was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on September 9, 2013 on a 3-count charge, bordering on stealing, conspiracy to steal and issuance of dud cheques. Justice Akinyemi found him guilty on the charge of stealing and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment and another three years imprisonment…

The trial at the Federal High Court Gombe, of the former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje, being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on charges bordering on conspiracy and money laundering, was on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 stalled as the defence sought for an adjournment citing his ill health.Goje who is standing trial before Justice Babatunde Quadri, along with three others, was not in court. His counsel, Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), while presenting a medical report, which he said emanated from the National Assembly Clinic, cited ill-health as the reason for the absence of his client.…

A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on Monday, December 15, 2014 issued a bench warrant against the Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, Dr Olufemi Omotoso for failing to appear in court for arraignment in a N1.2 bribe case.Omotoso and his alleged accomplice Ayo Owoka, who is a lawyer, were charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 5-count charge bordering on conspiracy, offering of gratification and giving false information to a public officer. The duo allegedly conspired to offer a N1.2 million bribe to operatives of the Commission on 27…

The on-going trial of one Alhaji Musa Sulaiman, Managing Director, Alhaji Musa Suleiman General Enterprise, and his son, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Suleiman who are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over an alleged issuance of dud cheque to the tune of N300m (three hundred million naira) continued on Friday, December 12, 2014 before Justice Tukur M. Aliu of Kaduna State High Court, Kaduna.At the resumed hearing of the case today, an operative of the EFCC, Buba Abubakar, the fifth prosecution witness, told the court that the accused received consignment of groundnut oil and rice from Stallion…

A Kaduna State High Court presided over by Justice Mohammed Aliyu, has refused bail of Chimela Darlington, a suspected serial fraudster being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, who parades himself as one of the contractors working on National Integrated Power Project, NIPP, in Taraba State, and duping unsuspecting victims of several millions of naira.Darlington, through his counsel, Tony Mozie, had after his arraignment on December 4, 2014 filed an application for bail pending the determination of the case as the offence was a bailable one. Mozie argued that the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 arraigned a contractor, Mutairu Babatunde and two former staff of MTN : Victor Akintunde and Gani O. Mustapha and their companies Primavera Engineering and Construction Limited, and Mabo Dredging Limited before justice Lawal Akapo of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on a 17-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretense, forgery, and issuance of dud cheque.Akintunde and Mustapha, former executive members of MTN Employees Multipurpose Cooperative Society (MEMCOS), ran into trouble when they could not account for more than N1,000,000,000.00( One Billion Naira…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, December 11, 2014 presented two more witnesses before Justice Tukur M. Alu of Kaduna State High Court, Kaduna in the on-going trial of one Alhaji Musa Sulaiman, Managing Director, Alhaji Musa Suleiman General Enterprise, and his son, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Suleiman over an alleged issuance of dud cheque to the tune of N300m (three hundred million naira).At the resumed hearing of the case today, the second prosecution witness, PW2, Onu Monday Isa , marketing manager, Stallion Nigeria Limited, Kaduna Branch, told the court that the accused persons had approached his company…

Justice F. O Ohwo of Delta State High Court, Warri, Delta State, on Wednesday, December 10, 2014, convicted and sentenced Pastor Glory Okeoghene Abrefera and Reverend Vincent Okpogu to seven (7) years imprisonment each for stealing depositors’ funds amounting to N32million ( Thirty- Two Million Naira only).The two clergymen were nabbed after deceiving unsuspecting members of the public into investing in Mustard Seed Micro Investment Limited, a wonder bank, and defrauded them of their hard-earned money. While delivering judgment today, Justice Ohwo convicted the accused persons on all of the nine count charges preferred against them by the Economic and…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ,on Wednesday December 10, re-arraigned the trio of Mahmud Tukur, Ochonogor Alex, Abdullahi Alao and their companies Eterna Plc, Axenergy, and Star Inspection Services Nigeria Limited on 38-amended count charges bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence and forgery.The accused persons allegedly colluded among themselves and obtained N3,121,393,098 (Three Billion, One Hundred and Twenty One Million, Three Hundred and Ninety Three Thousand, Ninety Eight Naira Only) from the Federal Government under the guise that the money was for the importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). One of the charges read that: “You …

The trial of Esai Dangabar and six others who are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for their complicity in the police pension scam continued on Wednesday, December 10, before Justice Husseini Bala Yusuf of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.The accused: Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, Uzoma Cyril Attang and Christain Madubuke who were alleged to have defrauded the Police Pension Office to the tune of N24billion were arraigned on April 10, 2013 on a 20 count amended charge that bordering on…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 arraigned one Michael Ogun popularly known as Idris Suleiman, before Justice Olubukola A. Adeniyi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court Apo, Abuja, for offences bordering on forgery.The accused was alleged to have extorted money from members of the public on the pretence of offering them employment into the Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and other paramilitary agencies. He is also being investigated in a suspected case of money laundering. The accused pleaded not guilty to the 6-count charge preferred against him by the EFCC. Count one…

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, December 8, withdrew from two suits brought by a former Judge of the court, Gladys Olotu.Olotu had been under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged fraud and money laundering. The retired judge had, through her counsel, Mr. Okey Obikeze (SAN), on March 24, instituted the fundamental human rights suit to restrain the EFCC and other security and anti-corruption agencies from investigating her. Olotu was compulsorily retired by President Goodluck Jonathan, on February 25, over allegations of gross misconduct, following the recommendation of the National…

The Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, has called for the support and cooperation of Nigerians in the fight against corruption, stating that “the job of fighting corruption should not be left only to statutory organisations”.He stated that the Commission had been deploying the social media platforms to reach the public, adding that the fight against corruption could not be fought only by traditional model of public enlightenment. He spoke on Tuesday, December 9, at this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day organised by Inter-Agency Task Team, IATT, at the National Centre for Women Development, Abuja, with…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has unveiled an Inter-Faith Anti-Corruption Preaching/Teaching Manual as part of its efforts to combat corruption in the country.The Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, who spoke at the book unveiling event, on Tuesday, December 9, at the main auditorium of the National Centre for Women Development, Abuja, reiterated the need to get religious bodies involved in the war against corruption. He said: “The Commission came to the unassailable conclusion that successfully combating economic and financial crimes, including corruption and money laundering, would take more than enforcement of laws. “It was obvious that…