The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Alleged fraud

  • EFCC arraigns lawyer over alleged fraud

    EFCC arraigns lawyer over alleged fraud

    The Economic and Financial  Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a 36-year-old lawyer, Babatunde Ojo, over an alleged N117.3 million fraud.

    He was arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of a Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, alongside his company, Amberville Communications Limited last week.

    The EFCC arraigned him on a 48-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and issuance of dud cheque.

    Counsel to the EFCC, Mrs. Vera Agboje, alleged that the defendant obtained the money from Mr. Matthew Awodiya and his firm, First Hebron Homes and Investment Limited, as part payment to purchase 50 Shops being constructed at Ajah area of Lagos.

    According to the prosecutor, the shops were being constructed by Verod Capital Investment Limited. She alleged that the defendant forged the signature of Mr. Eric Idiahi, to facilitate the fraud, saying that Ojo committed the offences between April 2010 and August 2012 in Lagos.

    The prosecutor also accused the defendant of issuing various Standard Chartered Bank cheques in favour of the complainant which were dishonoured when presented to the banks due to insufficient funds in his account.

    She said Ojo’s alleged offences contravened Sections 1(3) and 8 (a) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.

    According to her, it also contravenes Sections 363 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011 and 1(1)(a) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act, Cap D11, Laws of Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge when asked to take his plea. The judge ordered him to be remanded in prison custody. Justice Ipaye subsequently adjourned the matter till March 18, for trial.

     

     

  • Trader, 45, in court over alleged N624,000 fraud

    A 45-year-old trader, James Okafor, on Friday appeared before a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos State for defrauding a pharmaceutical company of N624,000 and escaping from police custody.

    Okafor who resides at No. 5, Fakeye St., Ojodu Berger, a suburb of Lagos, is facing a four-count charge of obtaining under false pretences, stealing, issuing a dud cheque and escaping from lawful custody.

    He, however, denied committing the offences.

    The prosecutor, Sgt. Daniel Ighodalo, told the court that Okafor committed the offences on Feb. 2 at No. 36, Orisu St., Idumota, Lagos Island, Lagos.

    Ighodalo said that the trader bought three cartons of Atequick drugs, valued at N624,000 from one Mr. Bayo Braimoh, a sales representative of Jeskem Nigeria Limited, a pharmaceutical company.

    The prosecutor said that the accused after receiving the drugs from Braimoh, issued a dud Diamond Bank cheque with serial number 265337750 for N624,000 to Braimoh.

    ‘The accused, however, knew that there was no money in his account while drawing the cheque in favour of Braimoh,’’ Ighodalo told the court .

    The prosecutor noted that when the sales representative presented the cheque to the bank for cash, the bank dishonoured it due to insufficient funds

    Ighodalo said that the police at the Adeniji Adele Central Police Station, Lagos Island, invited Okafor for questioning following a complaint lodged by Braimoh.

    The prosecutor said that the accused escaped from the police station to an unknown place under the excuse that he wanted to buy water across the street adjoining the station.

    Ighodalo said that the offences contravened Sections 106(b), 285, 312 and 319 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    Section 106 prescribes two years imprisonment for anyone convicted of escaping from police custody.

    The magistrate, Mrs O.M. Ajayi, granted the trader bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till March 20, for mention.

  • Alleged fraud: Judge’s absence stalls Bankole’s trial

    Alleged fraud: Judge’s absence stalls Bankole’s trial

    The absence of Justice Donatus Okorowo of Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday stalled the hearing of N894 million fraud charge filed against the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole.

    Okorowo, who is now a judge of the court in Jalingo, Taraba, was said to have been engaged in some official duties at his new posting.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a new date for hearing of the matter has not been fixed.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in June, 2011 filed a 16-count charge of contract inflation amounting to N894 million against the former Speaker.

    Bankole has lost two attempts to stop the trial.

    NAN reports that Okorowo on December 19, 2011 dismissed an application urging the court to quash the charge.

    The accused person’s objection against alleged absence of authorisation for Mr. Festus Keyamo to prosecute the case was equally dismissed by the court.

    In his ruling then, Okorowo held that the prosecutor must be given the liberty to prosecute the case, considering that the charges had shown enough “prima facie’’ against the ex-Speaker.

    The court further held that Bankole lacked the authority to question lawyers who were employed to prosecute the case.

     

  • Alleged fraud: Kaduna Deputy Speaker, six others arraigned

    Alleged fraud: Kaduna Deputy Speaker, six others arraigned

    The Deputy Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Dr. Mato Dogara, and six former officials of Lere Local Government Council were on Monday charged before Federal High Court, Kaduna for alleged conspiracy and fraud amounting to N30 million.

    The other accused persons included Kabiru Tahir, former interim committee Chairman of the council; Ahmed Yahya, former Director of Finance, and Billy Graham, former Director of Works.

    Others were Yushau Aboki, ex-Director of Personnel; Hannatu Iliya, Head of Health, and Eric Alhassan, former acting Chairman of the council.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the accused persons were arrested and arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, following a petition against them by un- named persons from the local government area.

    Counsel to the EFCC, Sa’ad Hannafi told the court that the accused persons were standing trial on a six-count charge of conspiracy and fraud.

    He said the charges were contraray to Sections 1(2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act 2004, and 1(1) a under the Advance Free Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.

    Hannafi said the accused persons had between March 2011 and February 2012 conspired and attempted to defraud the council of over N30 million.

    The EFCC said in case No: FHC/KD/3c/2013, between Federal Republic of Nigeria and the seven accused persons that: “Sometime between March 2011 and Feb. 2012, at Kaduna State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, conspired among yourselves to do an illegal act.

    “You obtained money by false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Free Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

     

  • Alleged fraud: Ex-Rep sues EFCC

    Alleged fraud: Ex-Rep sues EFCC

    A former member of the House of Representatives, Napoleon Gbinije, has filed a motion for the enforcement of his fundamental right against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

    The anti-graft agency had on January 8, 9 and 10 declared him wanted through press releases and advertorials in newspapers, and radio for alleged breach of trust and illegal diversion of N281 million.

    But Gbinije In the suit before an Abuja High Court accused the anti-graft agency of declaring him wanted without inviting him over the allegation.

    The applicant, who represented Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency of Delta State between 2003 and 2007 in the motion by his counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju of Chief Afe Babalola Chambers is asking the court to declare the action as unconstitutional, illegal and a breach of his fundamental right.

    He is praying for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC by itself, agents, officers, servants, privies or anybody whatsoever described from arresting, detaining or in any manner interfering with the Fundamental Rights of the Applicant to personal liberty as enshrined in Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as altered) without following the due process of law.

    In a 19 paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Bamikole Aduloju averred that the applicant was unable to personally depose to the affidavit because he is not within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court at the moment as he is under close medical attention in Lagos State.

    Denying the alleged fraud, the deponent stated “that the condition of health of the applicant has so far worsened as a result of the said publication and subsequent rise of his blood pressure which may lead to cardiac arrest and death.”

    According to him, the EFCC rebuffed attempts by Ogunwumiju to seek appointment to enable the applicant appear before the commission.

  • EFCC arraigns businessman over alleged fraud

    A 47-year-old businessman, Ma’aru Usman, was on Tuesday arraigned before a Lagos High Court in Ikeja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over an alleged N19 million fraud.

    The defendant, who resides at No. 27, Adetan Adebayo St., Power Time Line, Somolu, Gbagada, Lagos, is facing a one-count charge of stealing by fraudulent conversion.

    Counsel to the EFCC, Mr. M.K. Bashiru, alleged that the accused had, in November 2011, in Lagos, fraudulently converted N19 million which was entrusted in his care to his personal use.

    Bashiru said the money was entrusted to the accused by one Alhaji Akeem Badiru.

    He said the offence contravened Section 285 (9) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

    Usman, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The Judge, Lateefat Okunnu, ordered him to be remanded in prison pending the hearing of his bail application fixed for January 28.

     

  • Alleged fraud: EFCC arrests Bank Manager, Speaker’s PA

    Alleged fraud: EFCC arrests Bank Manager, Speaker’s PA

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday said it has arrested a former manager with the defunct Intercontinental Bank, Mr. Olayinka Sanni and Mr. Oyebode Atoyebi, who is the Personal Assistant to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, over an alleged N1.5 billion fraud.

    The two suspects will soon be arraigned in court over the allegation.

    A statement signed by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, accused the affected manager of brokering many shady deals.

    The commission alleged that the manager transferred about N1.2 billion from Murhi International Limited and N306 million from Falana and Falana Chambers.

    The statement said: “A former manager with Intercontinental Bank Plc ( now Access Bank), Mr. Olayinka Sanni and Personal Assistant to Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Oyebode Atoyebi have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) over a case of conspiracy, stealing and forgery amounting to about N1.5 billion.

    “Sanni, a chartered accountant and operator of SIDAW Ventures (a Bureau de Change), was alleged to have fraudulently transferred various sums of money from more than seven customers of the bank into the account of SIDAW ventures owned and operated by him without the customers’ consent.

    “Specifically, he transferred N65 million from the account of Babington Junior Seminary; N40 million from P.W. Nigeria Limited’s account; N15 million from Mikano International’s account; N20 million from Viju Industries Limited’s account, N306 million from the account of Falana & Falana Chambers and Fafun Nigeria Limited and N1.2 billion from Murhi International Limited into his SIDAW Ventures account without the consent of the account owners.

    “Besides, Sanni also collected the sum of $461,200 USD from one Chukwurah Nkiru, who sold it to him for the equivalent of N76, 559,200 but was not paid.

    “Sanni is also embroiled in a foreign exchange scam where his SIDAW Ventures account was used to handle the sum of N104, 405, 000 where only N72,229,000 worth of foreign exchange was paid to the customer leaving a balance of N32, 185, 000 being hotly contested between his firm and the customer.

    “Oyebode Atoyebi, Personal Assistant to Ikuforiji was also arrested for complicity and conspiracy with Sanni for allowing his passport-sized photograph and name to be used to open an account in SIDAW ventures limited in the name of Akanmu Babatunde.

    “With this fictitious name, Sanni brokered many shady deals and duped many innocent people.

    “The two suspects will soon be arraigned in court.”

     

  • Alleged fraud: Court stops Polish woman from traveling

    An Abuja High Court on Tuesday refused to grant permission to a Polish woman, Mrs. Dora Gilmaska, to travel abroad for medical treatment.

    Gilmaska, who allegedly issued a dud cheque, was arraigned before Justice Abubakar Umar of the Abuja High Court on a one-count charge of fraud.

    She prayed the court for an order to have the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission release her international passport to enable her renew it.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the EFCC is prosecuting Gilmaska, the Executive Officer of Icon Media and Marketing Agency Limited, for forgery and issuance of a dud cheque for N9 million to one Tayo Olugbemi.

    She pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Umar while delivering a ruling in an application filed by Gilmaska, through her counsel, Mr. Chris Okoye, held that granting of such application was left at the discretion of court.

    He also said that in granting such a leave, the court would look at all credible evidences presented by an applicant, in order for such application to be granted.

    “Yes, the applicant presented a letter from Nisa Premier Hospital, dated July 1, 2011, saying that she needed to undergo a Laparoscopy.

    “The letter said that the hospital in Abuja does not have the facilities to carry out such a diagnosis.

    “But the letter did not say whether the same medical (Laparoscopy) procedure could be done in Lagos, Ibadan or elsewhere within Nigeria,’’ he said.

    Umar held that the accused failed to tell the court the consequences of non-renewal of her passport.

    He also held that she failed to place any cogent material before the court to say whether the ailment she had was a life threatening one.

    Umar therefore held that the application for permission to travel lacked merit.

    “I refuse to grant this application.

    “I will, however, order an accelerated hearing into this case,’’ he said.