Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibarhim Lamorde has promised to build a robust relationship with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, NLRC, in fighting the menace of lottery scam and other unwholesome practices in the lottery sector. Lamorde gave the assurance on Tuesday, March 17, 2015 while signing a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the NLRC on ways to effectively combat fraud in the lottery sector in Nigeria. The EFCC boss assured that, the Commission would spare no effort towards cleaning up the industry of cheats and illegal lottery operators. “We will do our best to bring violators of laws…
Author: Kunle Edun
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, March 16, 2015 arraigned a banker, Arome Augustine Suleiman and one Etu Yusufu Idoko before Justice Peter Kekemeke of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Apo, Abuja on a 2-count charge of conspiracy and theft. Suleiman allegedly engaged in divulging information on the account of customers as well as their mandate details to fraudsters. Specifically, he provided account details of customers to Idoko through which they both conspired to steal money from their account. One of the counts reads: “That you, Arome Augustine Suleiman and Etu Yusufu Idoko sometime in…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today March 16, 2015 arraigned one Ogbonaya Chibuzor before Justice D.V Agishir of the Federal High Court Enugu, Enugu State for offences bordering on advanced fee fraud and obtaining money by false pretence. Chibuzor who was docked on a 5-count charge however pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him. Consequently, the prosecuting counsel M.A Shehu urged the court to remand the accused person in prison custody pending trial as he had earlier jumped the administrative bail granted him by the Commission.One of the counts in the charge against Chibuzor reads: “That…
The trial of a former presidential aspirant, Emmanuel Osita Okereke and Ishmeal Chinyere slated to commence on Monday, March 16, 2015 before Justice Abubakar Talba of an FCT High Court sitting in Gudu, Abuja could not proceed as planned as the prosecution’s witness was reportedly unfit to be in court. Okereke and Chinyere are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for offences bordering on impersonation, forgery and criminal conspiracy to the tune of N1,145,000 (one million, one hundred and forty five thousand naira). Specifically, the accused persons allegedly forged a document of a federal government titled “Restricted,…
No fewer than 45 members of the Network of Anti-Corruption Agencies in West Africa on Friday, March 13, 2015 visited the EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja, to assess the facilities at the institution. Ayo Olowonihi, Commandant of the Academy, who received the visitors, told them that the institute which started as a one-block Academy has grown, becoming the resource base of the Commission where Cadets and newly employed officers undergo training at the point of entry. He said the Academy has up-dated facilities to host conferences, seminars and trainings for anti-corruption personnel not only in Nigeria but the Africa sub- region.…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, wishes to alert the public about a letter supposedly from the office of the Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, mandating the Commission to initiate discreet investigation against some prominent political figures in the country. The commission urges the public to discountenance the said letter as it is forged document, intended to mislead the people. The features of the letter are markedly different from that on a genuine letter from the office of the Chief of Staff to the president. As evidence that this is a clear forgery, we reproduce below the…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, notes with dismay, the views attributed to Mallam Garba Shehu, Director, Media and Publicity, of the Mohammadu Buhari Campaign Organization, accusing the leadership of the Commission, EFCC, of alleged corruption and insensitivity to staff welfare. Garba who spoke to journalists in Abuja yesterday claimed President Goodluck Jonathan has reduced the EFCC to a toothless bulldog which could not even bark. It is regrettable that Shehu, a spokesperson of a leading Presidential candidate with call the media to disparage a national agency that epitomize the nation’s fight against corruption. Were his views based on…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned Chief Ikechukwu Meregini, before Justice Kudirat Jose of the Lagos State High Court, sitting in Ikeja on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence. Meregini ran into trouble when a petitioner, M.S Securities Bureau De Change Limited, allegedly entered into a foreign exchange transaction with him, involving the sum of $45,000 ( Forty-Five Thousand United States Dollars). The money was paid into his domiciliary account, with an understanding that Meregini would pay the Naira equivalent to the petitioner within five (5) days of the transaction . Meregini allegedly…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today March 12, 2015, secured the conviction of one Chika Odinaka Ohaegbulem as a Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia Abia State, sentenced him to 7 years imprisonment on a14-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, impersonation and obtaining money by false pretences. Ohaegbulem was arraigned before Justice F. A Olubanjo on May 5, 2014, alongside three other members of a syndicate who specialise in stealing various investors’ dividend warrants, which they sold to Ohaegbulem for clearing.All the accused had pleaded not guilty but in the course of trial, Ohaegbulem changed he plea and offered…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on March 12, 2015 arraigned a former Chairman and Chief Accounting Officer of Hong Local Government Council, Adamawa State, Ibrahim Buba Gayus, on a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy, embezzlement, and diversion of public funds, fraud and abuse of office to the tune of N41.1m (Forty One Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira). Gayus who was arraigned before Justice B. B Aliyu of the Federal High Court Yola, Adamawa State, allegedly collected N50m (Fifty Million Naira) agric loan on behalf of members of staff but instead, gave out less than N10m (Ten Million Naira)…