The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

  • ‘War against corruption is winning’

    The Federal Government’s anti-graft war has received a fillip from a one-time spokesman for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Mr Oluwaseyi Gambo.

    Gambo scored the administration’s war against corruption very high, citing the ongoing raids of homes and business premises across the country and recovery of stolen public funds in foreign currencies.

    “The ongoing raids of homes and other places for the recovery of monies outside the banking system by the EFCC shows that the war against corruption is on and the government is working.

    “Keeping such monies outside the formal financial sector is a sickening and very disturbing scenario.

    “It is very bad for the economy to have millions in foreign currencies stacked in septic tanks, air conditioned strong rooms in villages and other places.

    “This is happening because the government has been able to make it almost impossible for illegal wealth to find `expression’ within and outside the country,’’ he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

    Gambo said even the worst cynics could see that President Buhari’s multifaceted campaign against corruption was working.

    NAN reports that on April 12, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it had uncovered cash to the tune of 43.4 million dollars, 27,800 pounds and N23.2 million in a residential building in Lagos.

    The four-bedroom apartment said to be located on the 7th floor of Osborne Towers at 16, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, was stormed by EFCC operatives following a whistle blower’s confidential alert.

    According to Gambo, corruption is a monster, and the fight against it is a do-or-die affair without half measures.

    He noted the “imprisoned monies” would have been  invested in infrastructure with a great multiplier effect on the economy.

    He stressed:“If all these `imprisoned’ foreign currencies are in circulation, it can be used to finance many projects and activities.

    “Imagine Dangote keeping all his monies under the bed, it will not flow.

    “Money in circulation has a multiplier effect and it helps to create jobs, provide healthcare, education, industries and ease banks’ lending rate for development.

    “Putting money in the bank not only gives you security and a good return on the deposit, it helps the entire economy and the populace directly with its attendant multiplier effect.

    “If we have all these funds in the bank, the government will sell more bonds or treasury bills, borrowing locally and internationally may be unnecessary and it will not put pressure on the local currency (the Naira).

    Gambo commended FG’s whistle-blowing policy, saying evidently the policy has led to the recovery of billion of naira in different locations in the country.

    “Is it not amazing that Nigerians knew these things and are just cooperating with the law enforcement agencies?

    `This is the fruit of a good policy; making a policy after analysing the issue and profiling the personalities at play,” he said and lauded the EFCC for “a job well done.”

  • EFCC raids ex-governor Aliyu’s residence in Minna

    EFCC raids ex-governor Aliyu’s residence in Minna

    Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Thursday raided the private residence of former Niger state Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu and his farm in Minna, Niger state.

    The Nation learnt that the officials arrived at the residence located along Peter Seriki road in Tunga early in the morning and searcher the house; some witnesses around noted that the officials spent about two hours in the house.

    The raided residence of Aliyu was the house he stayed all through his eight years tenure as the governor of the state.

    After the search of the residence, the EFCC officials then proceeded to the multi-million naira farm of the former governor which is located along Mandela road in Minna.

    Efforts to get some of his family members and his media aide to speak proved abortive as none of them were ready to make any comment

     

     

  • Ladoja: Court threatens to arrest attorney-general for ‘contempt’

    The Federal High Court in Lagos Wednesday threatened to order the arrest of Oyo State Attorney-General Oluseun Abimbola and a staff of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Yinka Fatoki, for allegedly flouting its summons.

    Justice Mohammed Idris issued a summons on February 20 for Fatoki to produce some documents needed by the defence.

    The judge also issued a subpoena on February 24 for the Attorney-General.

    Defence counsel in the trial of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja applied to the court to order them to produce the documents.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) re-arraigned Ladoja for allegedly converting N4.7billion from the state treasury to his personal use.

    He was charged along with Waheed Akanbi on eight counts of money laundering and unlawful conversion of public funds.

    While cross-examining a prosecution witness – former Senior Special Executive Assistant to Ladoja Mr. Adewale Atanda, the former governor’s lawyer, Bolaji Onilenla, said efforts to get the required documents were unsuccessful.

    He said he wanted to tender them, including official mandates for the disposal of Oyo’s share’s under Ladoja, through the witness.

    “If by tomorrow (today) the Oyo Attorney-General does not produce the documents, we shall be compelled to invoke the consequences of non-compliance.

    “They have not offered any excuse but have been treating the order of court with disdain and levity.

    “The documents sought to be produced are quite central and germane to our defence. We will apply that a warrant be issued against them – we don’t care who they are,” he said.

    Justice Idris noted that his record shows that the Attorney-General and Fatoki were duly served with the summons and subpoena.

    According to him, they had a duty to appear in court having received the summons duly issued, signed and served, adding that “they have no choice”.

    Justice Idris said: “This court frowns at public officers who refuse to appear in court when summons have been issued for them to appear. They have no right to refuse to appear.

    “Therefore, when this court is properly called upon, the court will issue a warrant for their arrest and production in court if they refuse to appear.

    “Let the Attorney-General and Fatoki be warned that they must appear in court.”

    Testifying Wednesday, Atanda said lawyers who defended Ladoja following his impeachment charged him N50million when the case was at the High Court.

    “When there was success at the Court of Appeal and a date had been fixed at the Supreme Court, the team of lawyers said the initial fee was just for the High Court, and that they didn’t know the case would get to the Supreme Court.

    “So, they revised their fees to N350million. Ladoja promised them that if we’re successful at the Supreme Court, we’ll pay the amount because we didn’t have money then.

    “They demanded for a good faith payment, which was why I took a loan and paid them N35million,” Atanda said.

    The witness said he also served as chairman of Oyo State Housing Corporation under Ladoja and had the privilege of sitting in the executive council meetings as an aide.

    He was the shares disposed of by the Ladoja administration was up to 300million units and that they were sold to a firm which offered the best price for the purchase.

    The EFCC accused Ladoja and Akanbi of converting N1,932,940,032.48 belonging to Oyo to their personal use through the Guaranty Trust Bank account of a company, Heritage Apartments Limited despite knowing that it was proceed of crime.

    The prosecution said Ladoja removed £600,000 (about N240,219,945) from the state coffers in 2007 and sent it to Bimpe Ladoja in London.

    Ladoja also allegedly bought an armoured Land Cruiser jeep with N42million for himself using public funds.

    EFCC said he converted N728,600,000 and another N77,850,000 at different times in 2007, and allegedly transferred N77, 850,000 to Bistrum Investments, which he nominated to help him purchase a property named Quarter 361 in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

    The alleged offence contravenes sections 17(a) and18 (1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004, punishable under sections 14(1), 16(a) (b) and 18(2).

    Ladoja and Akanbi pleaded not guilty.

     

     

  • Lawyer urges Nigerians to stop celebrating corruption

    Lawyer urges Nigerians to stop celebrating corruption

    A Legal Practitioner, Mr Stanley Dien has called on Nigerians to stop celebrating each time the Federal Government loses its case against alleged corrupt individuals in court.

    Dien made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja against the backdrop of corruption cases the Federal Government has been losing in courts.

    According to him, “I shudder at the rate at which some Nigerians celebrate people that were alleged to have made away with the country’s money.”

    He called on the citizenry to have a sober reflection on the way they celebrate allegedly corrupt people whenever they won their cases in court.

    He said that such could send the wrong signal to the international community.

    The legal practitioner said that though the decision of the court had been very worrisome, especially in the fight against corruption by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the law must however be allowed to take its course.

    Dien said that there was no point to celebrate such losses, adding that since Nigeria operates a democratic government, the rule of law must be allowed to prevail.

    He said that a situation where the court would keep relying on technicalities to rule on a case would not augur well in the fight against corruption.

    He said that the judge handling the case involving Justice Adeniyi Ademola should have gone into a full trial, adding that the justice should have been allowed to state how he came about the money

    The legal practitioner said that the judge should have allowed the case to go on its merit and people should not be allowed to celebrate it.

    The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) recalls that an FCT High Court in Abuja had on April 5, dismissed the 18-count criminal charges brought by the Federal Government against Ademola of the Federal High Court and his wife.

    Also, the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on April 3 ordered the unfreezing of the account of Lagos lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), with a sum of N75million professional fee paid to him by Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had alleged that the money was proceeds of corruption.

    The initial forfeiture of the sum of 900,000 dollars found in an account of former First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan was similarly reversed on the order of another court.

    Former Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe was also discharged and acquitted on offence bothering on corruption after the Attorney General for the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami told ICPC that the case filed against Orubebe did not exist.

  • Ex-first lady Patience Jonathan sighted at Skyebank in Abuja

    Ex-first lady Patience Jonathan sighted at Skyebank in Abuja

    Former first Lady, Patience Jonathan was on Monday sighted at the Maitama branch of the Skye bank in Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this may not be unconnected with her  5.9 million dollars which was recently unfrozen by a court order.

    NAN also reported that the former first lady was at the bank until 4:05 p.m. when she departed but declined to speak to hordes of reporters who sought to know why she was at the bank.

    A source, however, told NAN that while at the bank, Jonathan briefly met an Executive Director of the bank.

    One of her aides, who declined to disclose his name, told newsmen that “everything was okay”.

    A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Thursday vacated its order which in 2016 froze the Skye Bank account of the ex-first lady.

    The account had a balance of 5.9 million dollars at the period.

    The Judge, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, set aside the ‘No-Debit Order’ which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission earlier placed on the account on allegations that the money found in it was a proceed of crime.

  • Court orders EFCC to unfreeze Patience Jonathan’s $5.9m account

    Court orders EFCC to unfreeze Patience Jonathan’s $5.9m account

    A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to unfreeze the account of Patience Jonathan, wife of former President.

    It would be recalled that the Federal high court sitting in Lagos had in December last year ordered the freezing of multiple accounts by the EFCC, suspected to be owned by Dame Patience Jonathan and also suspected to be proceeds of crime.

    It was also gathered that one of the accounts in the former First Lady’s name contained the sum of $5,316.66.

    Details soon…

  •  EFCC charges Allison-Madueke, INEC officials with money laundering

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, charged a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, and three others with money laundering.

    Allison-Madueke, who was described in the charge as “still at large”, is charged alongside, three officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on seven counts of money laundering.

    They are: Christian Nwosu, Yisa Olarenwaju and Tijani Bashir.

    The charges were read over to the three accused, who were present in court, and Nwosu, pleaded guilty to the charges, while Adedoyin and Bashir pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo then informed the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris that Nwosu had elected to enter into plea bargain with the EFCC.

    Oyedepo added that already Nwosu had made a refund of N5 million and surrendered the title document of a landed property he purchased for N25  millon in Delta State.

    Reacting, Nwosu’s lawyer, Mrs Adeku Nbangba, confirmed the position and pleaded with Justice Idris to temper justice with mercy in deciding the fate of the accused.

    The judge adjourned till April 7, for sentencing and ordered that Nwosu be remanded at the EFCC custody.

    Meanwhile, the judge granted bail in the sum of N50 million each to Adedoyin and Bashir, adding that they should deposit their international passport with the court’s registrar.

    The prosecution had alleged that the accused committed the offence on March 27, 2015 by accepting bribe from the ex petroleum minister.

    They were also alleged to have conspired to take possession of the sum of about N264 million which sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act of gratification.

    The accused were also said to have made cash payments of the sum of about N235 million, which sum exceeded the amount authorized by law, without going through a financial Institution.

    EFCC further alleged that Bashir (fourth accused) also made a cash payment of about N70.1 million to Adedoyin (third accused) without going through a financial institution and which sum exceeded the amount authorized by law.

    The prosecution also alleged that Bashir also directly took possession of the sum of about N165 million which sum he ought reasonably to have known formed part of an unlawful act of gratification.

    In count seven, Nwosu (second accused) was alleged to have directly used the sum of N30 million which he ought to have known formed part of an unlawful act of gratification.

    The offences are said to have contravened the provisions of sections 15 (3), 16 (2) and 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Amendment Act, 2012.

     

  • Businessman sentenced to seven years in prison for fraud

    A 44-year-old businessman, Odibo Kronaghea, was on Wednesday sentenced to seven years imprisonment at an Ikeja High Court, for defrauding a client of N2million.

    The report shows that Kronaghea and his company, Confido Consult Services Ltd, were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a three-count charge of obtaining money under false pretences and issuance of dud cheques.

    He was convicted by Justice Kudirat Jose on a charge of obtaining money under false presences, but was acquitted in two charges of issuance of dud cheques.

    While sentencing Kronaghea, Justice Kudirat Jose said: “The defendant is hereby convicted of the offence of obtaining under false pretences.

    “He is hereby sentenced to seven years in prison.”

    Justice Jose also convicted Kronaghea’s company, Confido Consult Services Ltd on the charge of obtaining under false pretences, fining the company N50, 000.

    She ordered the convict and the company to pay the complainant, Mr Judgewell Effiong, the sum of N966, 000 which is the outstanding proceeds of the crime.

    According to Mr Abba Mohammed, the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, the convict committed the offence on Aug. 26, 2008 in Ikeja, Lagos.

    “Kronaghea, falsely represented to the complainant that he was a fund manager and capital market operator, convincing him to invest N2million into a phoney investment scheme.

    “On April 16 and April 22, 2010 in an effort to refund Effiong the defrauded funds, he issued cheques with numbers 00000022 and 00000023, respectively.

    “Each of the cheques were for N100,000 but there were insufficient funds in his Guaranty Trust Bank account with account number – 2824225110.

    “The offences are contrary to Sections 1 (3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and Section 1 (1) of the Dishonoured Cheques Act of 2004,” Mohammed said

     

  • Court orders EFCC to defreeze Ozekhome’s account

    Court orders EFCC to defreeze Ozekhome’s account

    The Federal High Court in Lagos Monday defreezed the account of activist-lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN).

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) froze the account based on an interim order by Justice Abdulazeez Anka.

    The agency said Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose made a part-payment of N75million to the lawyer from an alleged N1.2billion the governor allegedly received from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).

    The commission said it froze Ozekhome’s GTBank account because the N75million Fayose paid him was suspected to be proceed of crime.

    Ruling on Ozekhome’s application to defreeze the account, Justice Anka held that Fayose paid the money from an unencumbered account.

    He held: “There is no argument whatsoever as to the source of the funds as rightly argued by the learned counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, but the question is: can the respondent/applicant be liable for any infraction as of the time he received the amount in his account?

    “His evidence was not controverted that the same proceeds were unencumbered as of the time they were transferred into the account of Mike Ozekhome Chambers as rightly argued by Chief Mike Ozekhome.

    “The Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, Coram Taiwo J, ordered the unfreezing of the said account belonging to Governor Ayodele Fayose.

    “I do not understand or comprehend why the applicant/respondent’s counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, would still argue and stand his ground that the same account has not be unfrozen by the Federal High Court sitting in Ekiti State.

    “In both the order and the depositions, the account, numbered 1000312625, was evidently and manifestly unfrozen; such an argument, therefore, by Mr. Oyedepo Esq cannot hold water.”

    The judge said he arrived at his decision considering the fact that the source of the fund was derivable from an unencumbered account; that the account was unfrozen via the order of the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti; that the amount has been dissipated; and that the funds were monies paid for the legal services rendered to Fayose.

    “I find it very doubtful if the objection of the EFCC can be lawfully sustained,” the judge held.

    EFCC obtained the order on February 7, following which Ozekhome urged the court to vacate it.

    Justice Anka said he would not allow himself to be lured into sitting as an appellate judge over the counter-decisions of Justice Mohammed Idris who earlier froze Fayose’s accounts  and Justice Taiwo who later defreezed the accounts.

    The judge also held that the section of the Money Laundering Act dealing with disclosure of lodgements of N10million and above, cited by the EFCC in support of its case, does not apply to a private legal  practitioner such as Ozekhome, especially where the N75million was paid from a court-ordered defrozen account.

    The judge further held that the act of approaching the Federal High Court, a lower court, to preserve the res (subject matter of a case) already at the Court of Appeal, in an appeal filed by the EFCC itself, or sit on appeal over the proceedings of the appellate court and the judgment of Justice Taiwo, a court of coordinate and concurrent jurisdiction, was wrong.

    He chided Oyedepo for approbating and reprobating, when in one breadth, he called the fees proceeds of crime, and in another breadth, he agreed that Ozekhome had actually worked for the fees and was thus entitled to it.

    The judge held that filing an application to set aside an earlier ex-parte order of injunction as done by Ozekhome cannot in anyway amount to attempting to shield himself from Investigation.

    He, therefore, held that Ozekhome’s motion to defreeze the account succeeded wholly and that the account should be defrozen immediately.

     

  • UCTH CMD, six others arraigned for fraud, abuse of office

    UCTH CMD, six others arraigned for fraud, abuse of office

    The Chief Medical Director of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Dr Thomas U. Agan, and six others were Monday arraigned at the Federal High Court in Calabar for fraudulent practices and abuse of office among others.

    A five-count charge signed by Kayode Oni, Blessing Obasi, Shehu Usman and Esin-Otu Ebipade, for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), indicated that Dr Agan, Offor Jonah Offor, Francis I. Otu, Okocha Anthony, Emmaneul Etta Nkim, Anchor Industrial and Construction Services Nigeria Limited and Basemark Energy Limited were the defendants.

    Oni, a lawyer for the EFCC, also tendered a list of 26 exhibits to the court.

    The charge read, “That you, Prof Thomas Agan as Chief Medical Director University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Offor Jonah Offor, as Head of Works and Engineering University of Calabar Teaching hospital, Francis I. Otu as Chief Administrative Officer and Head of Legal Services University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Okocha Anthony being the alter-ego of Anchor Industrial and Constructing Services Nigeria Limited, Emmanuel Etta Nkim being the alter-ego of Basemark Energy Nigeria Limited, Anchor Industrial and Construction Services Nigeria Limited and Basemark Energy Nigeria Limited; some time in the month of October, 2015 in Calabar, Cross River State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire amongst yourselves to bid-rig for the purchase of one Advanced Life Support Ambulance Vehicle and one Toyota Bus 30-seater to Messrs Basemark Energy Nigeria Limited and Anchor Industrial and Construction Services Limited contrary to Section 58(4) of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 and thereby committed an office punishable under Section 58(5) of the same Act.

    “That you, Prof Thomas U. Agan, as Chief Medical Director University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Offor Jonah Offor, as Head of Works and Engineering University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Francis I. Otu as Chief Administrative officer and Head of Legal Services University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Okocha Anthony being the alter-ego of Basemark Energy Nigeria Limited, sometime in the month of October 2015 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did abuse your official position to award contract in a fraudulent, collusive and corrupt manner contrary to Section 58(4)(e) of the Public Procurement Act 2007 Act and punishable under Section 58(5) of the same Act.

    “That you, Prof Thomas U. Agan as Chief Medical Director University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Offor Jonah Offor, as Head of Works and Engineering University Teaching Hospital, Francis I. Otu as Chief Administrative Officer and Head of Legal Services University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, sometime in the month of October, 2015 in Calabar, Cross River State within the jurisdiction of this Honourbale Court did abuse your official position to award contract in a fraudulent, collusive and corrupt manner and thereby committed an offence, contrary to section 58(4)(b) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 Act and punishable under Section 58(5) of the same Act.

    “That you, Okocha Anthony, being the alter-ego of Anchor Industrial and Construction Services Nigeria Limited, sometime in the month of October 2015 in Calabar, Cross River State within the jurisdiction of this Honourabe Court did obtained unfair advantage by enriching yourself when you fraudulent procured the supply of one Toyota Coaster bus 30 seaters and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 58(4)(c) of the Public Procurement Act and punishable under Section 58(6) of the same Act.

    “That you, Emmanuel Etta Nkim being the alter-ego of Basemark Energy Nigeria Limited, sometime in the month of October 2015, in Calabar, Cross River State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did obtained unfair advantage by enriching yourself when you fraudulent procured the supply of one Advance Life Support Ambulance and thereby committed an offence, contrary to section 58(4)(c) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 Act and punishable under Section 58(6) of the same Act.”

    The defendants however pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Counsel to the defendants, Mr. Mba Okweni SAN in an oral application pleaded with the court to grant the accused bail, as the matter was bailable.

    He also pleaded that the court should “stand down the matter to enable him file the formal application.”

    But counsel to EFCC objected to the oral bail application saying, it formal so that they can respond to it accordingly.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo declined the oral application for bail and adjourned the matter to May 8, 9, and 10 for hearing and ordered that the accused should be remanded in custody.

    The defendants, it was gathered have been in EFCC custody since last Friday.