Justice B.O.Quadri of the Federal High Court, Gombe today March 24, 2014 sentenced one Abubakar Dan-Inna alias Goni Bukar to 2 years imprisonment with hard labour. The convict, who was arraigned on October 3, 2013, was convicted on each of the two count charge of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence. The sentences are to run concurrently. Dan-Inna was alleged to have fraudulently obtained monies to the tune of about N2, 051,800 from one Alhaji Adamu Hassan, a businessman, by fraudulently representing himself as capable and possessing the power to bring Adamu out of his business misfortunes through the medium…
Author: Kunle Edun
A Laboratory Chemist, Idris Tahir who is a witness in the on-going trial of a police officer, Dodo Chilla Bulus, an Assistant Superintendent of Police today, March 24, 2014 told Justice E.S Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja that the result of the analysis of the product allegedly siphoned by the accused and his cohorts confirmed that it was crude oil Bulus is currently being prosecuted by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a 2-count charge bordering on oil theft and pipeline vandalism. At the resumed hearing of the case today, Tahir who was led in evidence by counsel…
An Operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Jonathan Barde, was on Tuesday, March 18, 2014, knocked down by a Honda Accord car, desperately driven by a fleeing suspect, Tajudeen Oluwanishola, who was trying to escape arrest over a case of fraud being investigated by the Commission. Barde sustained serious injury and was subsequently rushed to the Military Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos for medical attention. Not only was Barde injured, a Toyota Hilux van that took the investigative team to the Gbagada Estate neighbourhood where the suspects reside was badly damaged as the suspect rammed his car into…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, March 20, 2014 opposed an application filed by Mr. Charles Edosomwan, SAN, counsel to Mr. Fred Ajudua, before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, seeking bail for Ajudua, who is standing trial for defrauding two Dutch businessmen, Messrs Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen of the sum of $1.69million. EFCC Counsel, A. P Sanusi, urged the court not to grant the request for bail. “My Lord, this is an eleven years old case that is still to be finalized; giving bail now without considering his past record will delay trial”, she…
The arraignment of Timipre Marlin Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa State and six others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC before Justice A. Y Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja could not go on today. Though the ex-governor was present in court, counsel to the third accused person, Chukwuma Ochu told the court that he has a pending motion before the court which seeks the disqualification of the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN from standing as counsel in this matter for breach of the rules of the legal profession. “The motion touches on the integrity…
The withdrawal of defence counsel, Mahmood A. Magaji, SAN today ( March 20, 2014) stalled further hearing in the ongoing trial of Aliyu Bello, a former special assistant to the director of administration, Pension Account, office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and Abdullahi Omeiza, a sokoto-based school teacher, alongside their companies Fafama Estate Developers and Fafama Oil and Gas Limited. The accused persons who were arraigned in May 2013, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before a Federal High Court on a 5-count charge bordering on criminal conversion and obtaining over One…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on March 19, 2014 arraigned one Emmanuel Sunday before Justice P.I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court, Benin, Edo State on an 8-count charge bordering on conspiracy, impersonation and obtaining money under false pretence. The accused who paraded himself as a serving military officer of the rank of Captain allegedly obtained the sum of two million naira from one Endurance Igue purportedly to facilitate her enlistment into the Nigerian Army.One of the charges against the accused reads, “That you Emmanuel Sunday ( also known as Umoh Sunday and Inyang Samuel Chukwudi ) on…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested four undergraduates and three others for alleged involvement in Internet scam. They were arrested in two different locations in Ibadan, Oyo State. The undergraduates are: Otuyalo Damilola, a 400 level student of Computer Science of Lead City University, Ibadan; Adegbuyi Michael, an undergraduate of University of Kaula Lumpur, Malaysia; Ibrahim Aruna, a student of Mineral Resources Engineering, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State and Adeosun Matthew, a 200 level student of Banking and Finance, University of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. Others are Afolabi Ayodele, Balogun Olumuyiwa and Abiola Okunola. Five of the suspects:…
Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court today March 14, 2014 refused an application for the variation of the terms of the bail earlier granted to Aliyu Bello, a former special assistant to the director of administration (Pension Account) and Abdullahi Omeiza, a Sokoto-based school teacher. Justice Ademola had earlier granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N366, 000,000 (Three Hundred and Sixty Six Million) each and a surety in like sum. However, they claimed that they could not fulfil the bail terms, and filed an application for the variation of the bail conditions.It will be recalled…
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes, Ibrahim Lamorde, has commended the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for accepting to partner with the Commission in the fight against corruption. “It will further serve as an avenue to deepen existing relations between the two agencies,” he said. Lamorde who was represented by Osita Nwajah, deputy director, Public Affairs stated this at an Anti-Corruption Sensitization Programme organized for the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) on March 13, 2014. “It is far cheaper to prevent crime than to fight it, EFCC cannot work alone in this fight. It is our hope that the…
The arraignment of Mohammed Bello Abubakar, a former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Sokoto State, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice Rilwan Mohammed Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Sokoto on Wednesday, March 12, 2014 did not hold after all. Abubakar who was the Permanent Secretary of Local government and Community Development, Sokoto State between 2007 and June 2012 and presently Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Sokoto State was to be arraigned alongside the Deputy Director, Finance and Supply, Abubakar Abdullahi Ahmed on a 43-count charge bordering on conspiracy and forgery.Though the…
Justice Husseini Baba of the FCT High Court today, March 13,2014, admitted in evidence, Certificate of Identification of Statement of Account and Cheques obtained from First Bank Nigeria Plc by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in the ongoing trial of seven persons who are alleged to have stolen N24 billion of Police pension fund. The documents contain forensic analyses of statement of accounts of the police pension office which revealed how a total of 400 cheques were cashed on a single day. These were labelled as Exhibits P6, P6A and P6B respectively. Further attempt by the prosecution counsel,…
The general public is hereby informed that the Special Team on Petroleum Subsidy (STPS) which was set up as an Ad-hoc Team in January 2012 to investigate petroleum subsidy fraud in the country has, by approval of Management, been elevated to a full section- Extractive Industry Fraud Section (EIFS) under the Operations Department. The public is by this notice, to relate with the Section in this regard.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, on March 12, 2014, arraigned one Zahradeen Dambazzau Mohammed before Justice Olasumbo Olanrewaju Goodluck of the FCT High Court, Abuja, on a 5-count charge bordering on forgery and issuance of dud cheque. The accused and Ibrahim Ismail (still at large) allegedly conspired among themselves to forge a land title deed document belonging to Ishaya Madi. One of the counts reads: “That you, Zahradeen Dambazzau Mohammed and Ibrahim Ismail (at large) sometime in 2011 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did conspire among yourself…
A 29 year-old warder with the old Abeokuta Prisons, Ibara, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Joseph Emmanuel is presently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly assisting a prison inmate in carrying out fraudulent financial transactions, as well as using the name and documents of an illiterate taxi driver, to open a First Bank account for the inmate. The suspect allegedly assisted the inmate whom he called ‘Ora’ to open the account, using the name of one taxi driver in his neighbourhood called Monsuru Ogunsina Adeogun”. He took the step after he rejected the entreaties of…
A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of seven persons accused of complicity in the billion naira Police Pension fraud, Mustapha Sani Gadanya, on March 11, 2014, told Justice Hussein Baba of the Federal Capital Territory High Court how 400 cheques were cashed in a day by the accused persons. “Over 400 cheques were withdrawn and we got this information from the bank statement furnished us by First Bank Plc,” Mustapha said. Led in evidence by Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Gadanya told the court that he obtained and analyzed the certified true copy of instruments used in making withdrawals in the…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday March 10, 2014 arraigned the quartet of Joseph Sule Emoabino, David Eson Igbinoba, Agbator Gaskin Efe and Dr. Simon Imuekeme before Justice Esther Edigin of the Edo State High Court on an 8-count charge that borders on diversion of the sum of N113 million allocated for a particular project to another project contrary to section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and engaging in criminal conspiracy to commit an offence contrary to section (26) (1) (c) of the same Act.” The quartet who were chairman, secretary, director…
The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been drawn to publications in Vanguard and The Punch, newspapers and some online publications of Monday, 10 March, 2014, entitled, Alam’s Loot: Bayelsa Govt. Drags EFCC to Court, and Bayelsa Drags EFCC to Court over Alamieyeseigha Loot among other headlines. The news reports about a matter said to have been filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, by one Mr. George Uboh, ostensibly acting on the instruction of the Bayelsa State Government, is provocative misinformation and very cheap blackmail, to say the very least. The Commission wishes to state that…
Justice M. L Shuaibu of the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu recently convicted and sentenced one Joseph Okoro to 35 years imprisonment on charges of conspiracy and fraud. Okoro who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC , was found guilty on each of the 5-count charge which borders on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence contrary to section 1 (1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act. The convict was arrested in 2009 by the Nigeria police upon complaint by…
The Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, February 6, 2014 re-arraigned a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode before Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Lagos on a 40-count charge of money laundering. Fani-Kayode’s re-arraignment followed the amendment of the previous 47 criminal counts charge of money laundering involving about N230 million. In the amended charge before justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, Fani-Kayode is accused of accepting various sums of money totalling N100 million between July 7, 2006 and May 11, 2007 without passing through a financial institution.One of the counts reads, “that you Chief Femi Fani-Kayode on or…