A Lagos High court sitting in Igbosere, presided over by Justice Adebisi Akinlade on Monday February 17, 2014 sentenced Jamiu Seun Odunayo, a former banker, to One Hundred and Fifteen Years (115) imprisonment with no option of fine over an offence which borders on fraud, stealing, and obtaining money by false pretence. The convict was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on 39-count amended charge for fraudulently obtaining money by false pretences, stealing and suppression of funds to the tune of Eight Million Eight Hundred and Twenty Nine Thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty Naira, (N8, 829,650) belonging…
Author: Kunle Edun
Justice Adebisi Akinlade of the Lagos High Court, sitting in Igbosere on Monday, February 17, 2014 ordered Oluwaseun Ogunbambo who is standing trial in a case of forgery and obtaining N610million by false pretence to present himself for trial on April 23 and 24, 2014 or risk a bench warrant. Ogunbambo who was not in court at the last adjourned date, was again absent on Monday on the pretext that he was medically unfit. While addressing the court, R.A Oluyede, counsel to the defendant said: “My lord, i am sorry to tell the court that my client is not in…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on February 17, 2014 arraigned Chief Adekunle Ominikun Sobowale before Justice Kudirat Abike Jose of the Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja, on a 5-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence. The defendant allegedly defrauded one Mr Daniel Obiajuju Nwakanma Ekwevi of the sum of N10, 600,000.00 (Ten Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira) when he fraudulently sold to him, three acres of land located at Alahun village, off Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos. According to Ekwevi, after he had paid for the property, he discovered that a new sign post had been mounted…
Justice P.I Ajoku of the Federal High Court, Benin on Friday, 14 February, 2014 convicted and sentenced five oil thieves to a total of twenty seven years imprisonment. The convicts: Papa Ogbodu, Christian Ewofobe, Felix Idehen, Akole Kelvin and Endurance Idemudia got different jail terms without an option of fine. The convicts were arraigned on November 8, 2012 by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission on a 4-count charge bordering on conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products. After diligent prosecution, they were found guilty of the charges and convicted accordingly. One of the charge reads, “that you Papa Ogbodu, Christian…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, February 13, 2014, presented two more witnesses before Justice Gladys Olotu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, in the ongoing trial of the twelve persons for conspiracy and fraud in the Shell Gbaran-Ubie oil and Gas integrated Project in Bayelsa State The accused are Chidi David Adabanya and Benneth Ezekiel-Hart, both ex-staff of Shell; Andrew Feyaikebena Ebakpa, Kwokwo Ebiki Bina, Bolouwenimo Kwokwo and Presley Ebakpa, ( all officials of Bayelsa state). The others are companies belonging to the accused persons – Forstech Technical Nigeria Limited, Gastroil Ventures Limited, Bikyiis…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today 14th February, 2014 arraigned one Aminu Ibrahim Yaro before Justice Mohammed Tukur Mu’azu of Kaduna State High Court on a 2-count charge that borders on criminal conspiracy and stealing. The accused person who is a director of AYT Petroleum Limited is alleged to have converted the sum of N8, 000, 000 (Eight Million Naira ) he obtained under the pretext that he would lease a filling station located on Nnamdi Azikwe Way by Mando Roundabout, Kaduna to Royal Arms Petroleum Limited. The complainant alleged that sometime in March 2012 the accused person approached…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday February 14, 2014 presented its records of convictions in economic and financial crimes cases for 2013 to the media. Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media and Publicity, said though the Commission was delighted that it secured 117 convictions in 2014, it is optimistic that the conviction figures will be more in 2014 especially with the new practice directive by the Chief Justice of Nigeria on the expeditious handling of corruption cases. “In 2013, the Commission charged a total of 533 cases to court and recorded 117 convictions. “This convictions figure represents an improvement over…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, February 13, 2014 arraigned one Ngozi Ibeka before Justice Valentine Ashi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Wuse, Abuja on a 14-count charge bordering on fraud and breach of trust. Ibeka, Managing Director of Em-Lette Nigeria Limited is alleged to have received several supplies of rice from Stallion Nigeria Limited and issued 14 different cheques in payment. The cheques were dishonoured by the bank due to insufficient funds in her account.Count one of the charge reads, “That you Mrs. Ngozi Ibeka while being the Managing Director of Em-Lette Nigeria Limited,…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC today, February 13, 2014 arraigned Anthony Ezechukwu, a 34 year-old graduate of International Relations and Management before Justice E.S Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja on a 4-count charge bordering on fraud and personation. Ezechukwu, an alleged internet fraudster, specializes in cloning facebook accounts of high profile persons with the intention of defrauding unsuspecting members of the public. Among those he allegedly cloned their accounts are Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance, Dame Abimbola Fashola, wife of the Lagos State governor, Hajia Aisha Bala Mohammed, wife of Senator Bala Mohammed, minister of…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today February 11, 2014 arraigned one Inuwa Mohammed Ahmed, an accountant with a local government council in Bauchi State before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court, Bauchi on a two count charge of fraud. Ahmed was arrested following a petition by the children of late Hajia Marke Waziri who was a staffof the local government council. In the petition, Yusuf Dakale, son-in-law to the deceased, alleged that Inuwa Ahmed literally stole from the dead by collecting the salary of their mother after her death in May 2009. Thecouncil accountant allegedly…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, February 11, 2014 arraigned one Yusuf Kehinde Bakare before Justice Raliatu Adebiyi of the Lagos High Court, Igbosere on a 75-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and obtaining money under false pretence. Kehinde Bakare is alleged to have received the sum of N1,472,285,294 (One Billion, Four Hundred and Seventy Two Million, Two Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand, Two Hundred and Ninety Four Naira) to advertise four (4) products namely: Gino Tomato Paste; Pomo Tomato Paste; Jago MilkPowder and. Jago D’ Lite Milk Powder on both radio and TV outlets across the…
Justice A. A Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja on February 7, 2014 sent the quartet of Dr Shuaibu Sani Teidi, Omoefe Eric Uduesegbe, Aliyu Bello and Abdullahi Omeiza all former employees of the Pension office of the Head of Federal Civil Service, to Kuje prison as their trial were stalled by the absence of Adewale Adegoke, defence counsel to the second accused person on ground of ill health. The accused persons are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for defrauding the pension office to the tune of N10, 080, 006, 276.00 (Over Ten Billion…
Justice Adebisi Akinlade of the Lagos High Court, Igbosere today, February 7, 2014 mandated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to investigate claims by Oluwaseun Ogunbambo that he was not medically fit to stand trial. The alleged serial fraudster who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on charges bordering on stealing was conspicuously absent when the case came up for hearing today. But his counsel Bimbo Akintunde claims his client’s absence was due to the fact that he was undergoing treatment at the Military Hospital, Yaba, Lagos for alleged spinal cord injury arising from a…
A Federal High Court sitting in Kano, Kano State today, February 7, 2014 sentenced one Ibrahim Saleh Nagero to two years imprisonment for offences bordering on financial malpractices. The convict allegedly used a fake bank guarantee to obtain a N36m lease finance facility from First Bank Nigeria Plc. The convict who was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday, February 6, 2014 alongside three staff of First Bank -Mukhtar Ali Tofa, Yusuf Tafida and Aminu A. Magashi – on a three count charge that borders on financial malpractices and obtaining by false pretence, pleaded guilty to one…
Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar of the FCT High Court, Maitama, Abuja on Thursday, February 6, 2014 convicted and sentenced one Agboworin Omole to fifteen months imprisonment with no option of fine over an offence which borders on fraud. The convict was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on one count amended charge for fraudulently collecting and misappropriating the sum of N8.4m (Eight Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira) belonging to the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja. The charge reads: “That you Chief B.A Omole being the Managing Director of Omole Agboworin & Co. and Omole Agboworin & Co . …
A finance manager with a Port Harcourt, Rivers State- based oil services company, Akintunde Ajao has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for allegedly diverting N52million in tax revenue due to the Rivers State Board of Internal Revenue into the account of a private company owned by him. Ajao who is finance manager of Cetco Oilfield Services allegedly used his position to divert the tax deductions payable to the Rivers State Government coffers into a Diamond Bank account allegedly owned by one YPSL Nigeria limited of which he is the sole signatory. The fraudulent transfers were uncovered…
A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos and presided over by Justice Rita-Ofili Ajumogobia was today told that a former Director General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Raymond Temisan Omatseye, who is being prosecuted by the EFCC on charges bordering on contract variation and bid rigging, violated provisions of the Public Procurement Act by awarding contracts above his approval limit. At the resumed hearing of the case today, prosecution witness and procurement officer with the Bureau for Public Procurement, BPP Mr. Aliu E. Aliu, reviewed various documents already tendered by the prosecution as exhibit, and…
The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, today dispelled all notions of interference in the work of the agency, asserting that the Commission works independently. Lamorde stated this when he received the Director, Sub-Sahara Africa Department of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Michael Stibbe and the ambassador of the Netherlands to Nigeria, John Groffen in his office. Lamorde stated that the Commission does it work independently and without any interference citing the prosecution of those allegedly involved in the fuel subsidy scam as example. “We have enjoyed tremendous political goodwill. We changed the son…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today, February 5, 2014 told an Abuja High Court presided over by Justice S. E Aladedoyinbo how the trio of Emeka Ukor, Anthony Uzonwanne and Babayemi Bukola conspired and forged the signature of the Senate President, Senator David Mark, in an attempt to fraudulently withdraw the sum of N45 million from his bank account. The accused persons are being prosecuted by the EFCC on a seven count charge bordering on conspiracy and forgeryAt the resumed hearing of the case today, prosecution witness Benedict Agweye who was lead in evidence by counsel to EFCC, Shata…
An undergraduate of the University of Ibadan, 28-year- old Orowo Jesse Omokoh, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly obtaining Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.) from one Mrs. Jette Jacob, an Australian based in Johannesburg, South Africa, in what is known as romance scam. The suspect allegedly met the Aussie on a dating site and struck a sizzling romantic affair that necessitated him moving to Johannesburg in 2013 to link up with his lover.Omokoh allegedly arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa on February 4, 2013, to meet with Jacob who had been in Johannesburg since November 2012. Five days…