The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal today affirmed the jurisdiction of Lagos High Court, Ikeja to entertain the N1.9billion oil subsidy theft charge brought against Walter Wagbatsoma, Adaoha Ugo- Ndagi and Ontario Oil & Gas Limited by the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission, EFCC.In a lead ruling delivered by Justice Amina Augie, the appellate court knocked off the three grounds on which Wagbatsoma and others objected to the ruling of the lower court affirming its jurisdiction and ordered accelerated hearing of the matter. Wagbatsoma’s grounds of appeal rested on the fact that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to…
Author: Kunle Edun
Justice J. Liman of the Federal High Court Benin, Edo State, today convicted Michael Igbinedion, younger brother to Lucky Igbinedion, former Edo State governor, and Charles Eboigbodin .The duo alongside their companies; Gava Corporation Limited; Romrig Nigeria Limited; PML Securities Company Limited and PML Nigeria Limited, were prosecuted on an 81-count charge of money laundering, misappropriation of funds and abuse of office brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.The convicts had pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned, setting the stage for a full trail. In the course of trial, the prosecution called several witnesses to…
The trial of a former governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje, along with three others, who are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on charges bordering on conspiracy and money laundering, before Justice B. O. Quadri of the Federal High Court, Gombe, continued on April 29, 2015 with the prosecution presenting more evidence against the accused persons.Prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu, presented documents to prove the alleged fraudulent transactions carried out between 2003 and 2011.Accepted by the court as exhibits J and K, they showed suspicious transactions with respect to the supply of food items to…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned a travel agent, Safiyanu Umar, at the Kano State High Court on a four count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.Umar had defrauded Salisu Bkeke along with eight others to the tune of N3, 050,000 in the guise of helping them obtain visa, air ticket, transportation and accommodation in Saudi Arabia for the 2013 lesser Hajj. Efforts of the victim to either secure the documents or get a refund of his money were futile, as the suspect became incommunicado. One of the charges read: “That you Alhaji…
The case involving a former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice A. Y Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for allegedly stealing from the coffers of the state to the tune of N19.2bn while being the governor between 2007 and 2011, could not go on as expected, on Tuesday, April 28, 2015.The matter was initially adjourned to today for ruling on an application filed by the third accused, Gbenga Balogun, through his counsel Israel Olorundare, SAN, praying the court to first determine the legal standing…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, April 27, 2015 arraigned Sa’idu Gado before Justice Kabiru Auta of the Kano State High Court, on a three-count charge bordering on criminal conversion of land, obtaining by false pretence and forgery.The victim of his nefarious act, Mustapha Musa had petitioned the EFCC alleging that Gado sold a plot of land to him in Darmanawa, Tarauni Local Government Area of the state at the cost of N6million, with claim that the title documents were certified by the Kano State Emirate Council. In lieu of the full cash payment, Musa gave Gado …
A former Commissioner representing Akwa Ibom State on the board of the intervention agency, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Pastor Godwin Moffat Eyo was today convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment by an Akwa Ibom State High court for stealing 56 transformers meant for oil producing communities in the state.The convict who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 56-count charge that borders on stealing and conversion of 56 electricity transformers released to him by NDDC for distribution to communities in Akwa Ibom state, was found guilty on 37 of those counts by Justice…
An internet fraudster, Okwuka Olisaebuka Ifeanyi, whose modus operandi is to hack into people’s email to commit fraud, was on April 23, 2015 sentenced to two years imprisonment by Justice H.A Nganjiwa, of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State on a three count amended charge of forgery brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.Ifeanyi’s journey to jail started on April 21, 2014 when he was arrested by operatives of the Commission with various forged fraudulent documents in his possession. One of the charge reads: “That you Okwuka Olisaebuka Ifeanyi on or about the 3rd…
The planned arraignment of one Julius Ola Peters and four others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice Ishaq Bello of the FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on charges of conspiracy, forgery and fraud was again frustrated on Thursday, April 23, 2015 due to the judge’s absence.It was the third time the arraignment would fail to hold. Peters and other suspects: Emeka Iloegbunam, Ijeoma David Alanza, Dinijocs Nigeria Limited, Jonathan Wallang and Swift and Hay Limited allegedly conspired and fraudulently used forged document to defraud the NLNG Staff Co-operative Investment and Credit Society to the…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on April 23, 2015 arraigned one Ernest Jor before Justice Valentine Ashi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Apo, Abuja on a two-count charge of fraud.Count two of the charge reads: “That you, Ernest Jor, sometime in 2007 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being entrusted with the sum of N6,000,000.00 (Six Million Naira Only) by MTN Nigeria Communication, for payment of lease running through August 2007 to July 2017, in respect of plot No. E17A, District Centre Layout, Kubwa…