Billionaire lawyer and Chief Executive of Bi-Courtney Limited, Chief Wale Babalakin has approached a Federal High Court, Lagos for an ex-parte order to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from arresting or prosecuting him for alleged corruption and money laundering.Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, had on February 23, 2015 discharged Babalakin, who along with Alex Okoh, Stabilini Visioni Limited, Bi-Courtney Limited and Renix Nigeria Limited, was being prosecuted by the EFCC for alleged N4.7bn scam. But, rather than appeal Justice Lawal-Akapo’s ruling, the EFCC had settled for fresh charges against Babalakin…
Author: Kunle Edun
The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a publication sponsored by Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, that appeared in some online news portals and Thisday Newspaper of Monday, May 11, 2015 alleging witchhunt of two former EFCC officers, Juliet Ibakaku and Michael Nzekwe, by the Commission.The sponsored publication is a reaction to the half page disclaimer published on the two officers on Friday, May 7, 2015, which primarily sought to alert the public that the ex-officers have long ceased to be in the employment of the Commission and anyone who had dealings with them inspite of…
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, on Friday, May 8, 2015 charged fresh cadets of the Commission to imbibe its core values, which include integrity, courage, professionalism, leadership and partnership.He stated this during the passing out ceremony of the EFCC Detective Superintendent Cadet Course 6 and Detective Intermediate Cadet Course 3 at the EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja. According to Lamorde, the 85 cadets who had just completed a six-month basic law enforcement training, received the “best possible initiation into the community of law enforcement.” He said the cadets, in the course of their training,…
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission on Thursday May 7, 2015 arraigned the duo of Muhammed Yau Gital and Sani Abba, both senior officials of the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory, before Justice O. C Akpaza of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on a 4-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, obtaining by false pretence and abuse of office.Gital, former Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed and Abba, Deputy Director, Mass Housing at the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA allegedly conspired and defrauded one Chief Duru Mike Ejiogu, managing director of Visioni…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 arraigned the trio of Mohammed Zahradeen Bello, Abdullahi Musa and Yusuf Baba before Justice I. U Bello of Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on a 5-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence, conspiracy and forgery.The suspects allegedly conspired and stole a Right of Occupancy belonging to Freelands Estate Limited from the custody of Abuja Geographic Information Systems, AGIS. Count one reads: “That you Mohammed Zahradeen Bello, Abdullahi Musa and Yusuf Baba sometime in February, 2012 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC will on Thursday, May 7, 2015 arraign two senior officials of the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory over land scam.They are: Muhammed Yau Gital, former Chief of Staff to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Bala Mohammed and Sani Abba, Deputy Director, Mass Housing at the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA. The duo will be docked before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Jabi for offences bordering on criminal breach of trust, obtaining by false pretence and abuse of office. Gital and Abba allegedly conspired and defrauded one Chief Duru Mike Ejiogu,…
A 19-year-old suspected internet fraudster Ojosipe Adebayo, has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice A.O Ipaye of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja on a two- count -charge bordering on possession of a document containing false pretences and forgery.The defendant is allegedly a member of a syndicate of internet fraudsters that specialize in using fake cheques and scam mails to defraud unsuspecting victims. When the charges were read to the accused person, he pleaded not guilty. One of the charges read: “That you Ojosipe Adebayo (a.k.a. “Marty Jason” and “Candice”) on or about the…
Justice E. S Chukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on Monday, May 4, 2015 ordered the extradition of Emmanuel Okoyomon, former managing director and chief executive officer, Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, NSPM, to the United Kingdom to face charges of corruption and money laundering.Okoyomon’s extradition is being sought by the UK government over his alleged role in the bribery allegation involving officials of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, NSPM and Securency International Pty of Australia between 2006 and 2008. Arguing the matter, Alex Izinyon, SAN, counsel to…
Three former bank employees: Amina Magaji, Haruna Bulama Namadi and Muhammed Abdullahi (at large) were today arraigned before Justice Faruk Lawan of the Kano State High Court Kano for defrauding the Late Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ado Bayero to the tune of Seventeen Million Naira. The principal accused person, Magaji was appointed account officer to the late Monarch to oversee his account domiciled in one of the old generation banks in 2011. She reactivated the account which had been dormant for forty seven years and proceeded to withdraw monies in bits to the tune of N17, 060,000 (seventeen…
In a scandalous replay of the episode, a few years back, when Justice Abdullahi Kafarati, then of the Federal High Court Enugu, offered an option of N3.5million fine to Lucky Igbinedion, former governor of Edo State for corruption offences, his younger brother, Michael Igbinedion who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for siphoning N25billion from the Edo state treasury during the period his elder brother held the reins as chief executive, today received a fine of N3million from Justice J. Liman of the Federal High Court, Benin .The anti-climactic denouement to a trial that was…