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Tag: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

  • EFCC raids Lagos club, arrest 12 suspects

    Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday morning raided Club 57 in Ikoyi Lagos.

    According to a twitter post on the commission’s verified account, EFCC confirmed the arrest of  twelve suspected internet fraudsters.

    The statement reads:

    “Acting on intelligence report of activities of suspected Internet fraudsters. While some abandoned their exotic cars to evade arrest, some others resisted. 12 suspects were arrested, with 10 cars recovered.”

  • EFCC’s fresh evidence hearing of Patience Jonathan’s suit

    The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of a suit by former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) until May 22.

    Mrs Jonathan is praying Justice Mohammed Idris to order the commission to unfreeze her accounts with $15.5million.

    Four companies had pleaded guilty before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the same court to allegedly laundering the money.

    On Wednesday, Mrs Jonathan’s lawyer Mr Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) said EFCC sought for leave to file additional processes, which had not been served on him.

    EFCC’s lawyer Nnemeka Omenwa confirmed that the processes were filed on April 27.

    Justice Idris said since parties had just been served with the processes, they needed time to respond.

    He adjourned until May 22.

  • Judge’s absence stalls SAN’s, ex-minister’s trial for ‘money laundering’

    The absence of Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday stalled the trial of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mr Dele Belgore and a former National Planning Minister Prof Abubakar Suleiman for alleged money laundering.

    The judge had adjourned to hear an application by Belgore for the prosecution to produce additional statements he made that were not tendered in evidence.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused former Petroleum Resources Minister Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke (“at large”), Belgore and Suleiman of making cash payment of N10million to a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Kwara State Dr Emmanuel Onucheyo, and N10million to a Commissioner of Police Garba Saliu.

    According to EFCC, they allegedly made the payments on March 27, 2015 without going through a financial institution.

    The sums, the commission said, exceeded the amount authorised by law and violated Section 1(a) and Section 16 (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act of 2012 and punishable under Section 16 (2) (b).

    Justice Aikawa had dismissed a no-case submission made by the defendants, holding that they were at liberty to enter their defence.

    Defence counsel Seni Adio (SAN) said he had a pending application dated January 16 in which Belgore is praying the court to order the EFCC to produce all the statements he made.

    But prosecuting counsel Rotimi Oyedepo argued that the prosecution tendered all the statements Belgore made and had closed its case.

    Adio, however, insisted that the additional statements were tendered and were needed to enable Belgore defend himself.

    Justice Aikawa then directed Oyedepo to file a formal objection to the application to produce the additional statements.

    The application will be heard on Thursday.

  • Court refuses claims by FG, Niger State to N6bn found in firms’ bank accounts

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected claims by the Federal Government and Niger State Government to an unclaimed N6bn found in the bank accounts of two firms – Katah Property and Investment Limited and  Sadiq Air Travels Agency Limited.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had claimed that the money in accounts in  Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB)  and the United Bank of Africa (UBA) in the names of Katah Property and Investment Limited and  Sadiq Air Travels Agency Limited was abandoned, being “ill-gotten funds.”

    The EFCC alleged that the main suspect, Alhaji Kantigi Liman, who was said to be at large,used the bank accounts of the companies to obtain money under false preference from innocent victims.

    It also alleged that the suspect used the companies as conduits to siphon the Niger State Government’s funds under the then Governor Babangida Mu’azu Administration “without any contract job and project for the state”.

    The EFCC also alleged that the the suspect had disclaimed the ownership of the N6bn in the four bank accounts and had therefore become imperative for the Federal Government to take absolute possession of “the unclaimed money”.

    On May 25, 2017, Justice Nmandi Dingba granted an ex-parte application by the EFCC for interim forfeiture of the money.

    The judge equally ordered the EFCC to publish the interim forfeiture order in a national newspaper inviting all those who might have an interest in the N6bn to show cause why the funds should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

    Following the publication of a notice of the temporary forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government, Niger State Government had come forward to lay claim to the money.

    The companies, in whose names the N6bn was kept in the bank accounts, also opposed the EFCC’s prayer for a final forfeiture order on the money to either the Niger State Government or to the Federal Government.

    In a ruling yesterday, Justice said both the FG and Niger Govt failed to provide evidence to warrant the permanent forfeiture of the money to either of them.

    He said the companies, in whose accounts the money was found, enjoyed rights of presumption of innocence guaranteed by section 36(5) of the Constitution and the right to own property guaranteed under section 43 of the Constitution.

    The judge said the claim by the EFCC that it was still investigating the funds in the four bank accounts showed that the commission was yet to be sure the of the facts it put the before the court to canvass for the final forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.

    He said: “What is clear from the above is that the applicant, the EFCC, is not absolutely sure of its facts to date, since the matter by their own admission is still under investigation.

    “If investigation is still ongoing, and they are not absolutely sure of their facts, it follows that what they possess at the moment is suspicion.

    “But the real question is whether suspicion, which is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the admission of the Commission in the processes it filed in court itself to support the application for permanent forfeiture, is sufficient to make the court now permanently transfer ownership of assets from those in whose names the assets are, and who enjoy existing legal and constitutional presumptions, to the Federal Government?

    “In my view, this would be very unjust and will amount to expropriation, and go against the Constitution.

    “In the light of the EFCC’s admission that they are still conducting criminal investigations on the assets, I believe that it amounts to taking victory over the subject matter of legal proceedings by stealth, in approaching the court for an order absolutely forfeiting the funds to the Government, through this route of non-conviction based assets forfeiture offered by Section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act.

    “I should also state that the claim that the funds are abandoned property, subject of absolute forfeiture to the Federal Government under Section 17 of the Act, appears unsubstantiated.”

    The judge, after rejecting the EFCC’s request for the forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government also said the Niger State Government too failed in its bid to claim its ownership.

    The judge ruled, “Having very carefully reviewed the materials provided by Niger State Government, I do not believe that they should succeed and that a sufficient case has been made for the funds in the subject accounts to be permanently forfeited to them.

    “What I have seen are assertions without sufficient proof.

    “In fact, I see a number of cracks in the position of Niger State Government; questions for which insufficient answers have been provided.

    “For instance, if the funds are proceeds of funds siphoned out of Niger State, at the very least the burden is on Niger State to provide evidence of how much was the allocation and income of Edati Local Government in the period in which Alhaji Liman Katingi was the chairman of the Local Government.

    How much was missing from this income and allocation, and how much of the missing funds, if any, are traceable directly or indirectly to the account of Katah Property And Investment Ltd, and Sadiq Air Travel Agency Ltd, which copies Alhaji Liman Katingi is the alleged promoter.”

    The judge also rejected the assertion that the companies were shams promoted by  Alhaji Liman Katingi for the purposes of warehousing ill-gotten money siphoned from Niger State Government.

    “A lot more needs to be offered to establish this claim, than just this general bare assertion,” the judge said.

  • $2.1b arms cash: I never collected money from anywhere – Secondus

    …Challenges FG to publish voucher, says we will meet in court

    The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus Tuesday denied collecting N250million out of the $2.1billion arms cash allegedly squandered by the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).

    He challenged the Federal Government to publish the voucher(s) which he allegedly signed to collect the purported arms cash.

    He said it was unfortunate that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which was founded and nurtured by PDP administration to tackle the issue of corruption in the system, had to turn itself into a pawn in the hand of APC.

    But he was silent on alleged 54 vehicles purportedly bought for him from the proceeds of Strategic Alliance Agreement between Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Nigeria Limited and the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).

    Secondus, who bared his mind in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Ike Abonyi, said the Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were desperate to frame him up.

    The statement said: “The attention of the media office of the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus has been drawn to the desperation of the Federal Government and its ruling, All Progressives Congress (APC) to frame him up with some blatant fabrications ostensibly to distract him from carrying out his responsibility of rebuilding his party.

    “The National Chairman would ordinarily not want to join issues with the government on a matter already in court but noted regrettably that the administration has great contempt for the court and the rule of law and has instead chosen to use blackmail and media persecution to defame and discredit their enemies. A gimmick Prince Secondus said has failed because Nigerians have come to know the antics of the drowning government.

    “The Federal Government and its agency in their desperation to forge documents and defame him, forgot to reconcile their lies; the Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji. Lai Mohammad and the EFCC couldn’t agree on the date of the purported money collection and whether it was collected by him Secondus or by a faceless fictional Chukwura that has no surname.

    “While they may have embarked on a wide search since 2015 for the surname of the so called aide of the National Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed claimed in his press conference on Good Friday March 29th, 2018 that Secondus collected the money on 19th of February, 2015, EFCC on their part on April 16th, 2018, eighteen days after said the money was collected on February 9th, 2015 and in another version still quoting the same EFCC claimed February 2, 2015.

    Secondus said he will not succumb to blackmail and intimidation on his mission to reform the PDP.

    He said it was sad that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which was founded and nurtured by PDP administration to tackle the issue of corruption in the system, had to turn itself into a pawn in the hand of APC.

    The statement added: “Secondus restated his earlier declaration that nothing, not even the blackmail and intimidation lined up against the opposition by the Federal Government would be enough to stop him from carrying out the reform of his party, the PDP, as the programme is aimed at repositioning the party with a view to rescuing Nigeria from the disaster called APC administration.

    “Prince Secondus described as unfortunate and tragic the fact that anti-corruption agency like EFCC founded and nurtured by PDP administration to tackle the issue of corruption in the system had to turn itself into a pawn in the hand of APC administration to witch hunt and harass perceived enemies of government just to impress and keep job.

    He challenged the government and any agency that have anything against him that just cropped up because he is trying to rebrand his party to bring such evidence to the court and stop character assassination in the media.

    The statement said: “There’s no need to be talking about a case pending in court in the newspapers.  If the government has anything to say, they should file it before the court as demanded.”

    “The National Chairman’s office is aware of a grand design by the government to stop at anything to tarnish his image. But he said that the move would fail.”

    Secondus asked the Federal Government to release any evidence linking him with the purported collection of N250million from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).

    The statement said: “He (Secondus) challenged the government to come out with the vouchers with which he was said to have signed, adding that such signature would also be subjected to forensic analysis.

    “I never collected any money from anywhere. I didn’t ask anyone to collect money for me as well and I didn’t sign any voucher to collect any money.

    “It is pure blackmail which will never work. If they are cooking up anything, with the aim of blackmailing me, it will fail. I know that the task of uprooting this non-performing government would be horrendous. But God is always on the side of the people.

    “I can understand the frustration of a party that enjoyed enormous goodwill from Nigerians three years ago but got it squandered with its ‘nepotic’ and insensitive administration.

    “No amount of cheap blackmail and treachery will return the APC from the exit gate where Nigerians already pushed them to, awaiting 2019.

    “The departure date for the APC has already been announced and the flight schedule would not be cancelled, because Nigerians cannot wait to see them off.

    “Finally, the media office of the National chairman said that they are not oblivious of the fact that this government does not believe in court because they see rule of law as antithetical to their own agenda and understanding of democracy but noted emphatically, that truth must prevail over lies and propaganda especially as the populace have cried out to God for a rescue.”

    Read Also: Secondus gives Lai Mohammad 48 hours to retract statement

  • Navy hands over impounded vessel to EFCC in Bayelsa

    The Nigerian Navy, ”Forward Operation Base” (FOB) in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa on Wednesday, handed over impounded Barge Podium of vessel to the officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ).

    The FOB Commanding Officer, Navy Capt. Adamu Yahaya, who handed over the vessel to EFCC in Formoso, Egwuama of Brass area of the state, said the vessel was laden with unspecified quantities of products, suspected to be illegally refined Automated Gasoline Oil (AGO).

    Yahaya also said the vessel was seized in May 2017 at a creek in Alaki area of Rivers, adding that the suspects on board fled when they sighted the Navy gunboat.

    He said the handing over of the vessel to the commission was in compliance with the naval headquarters’ directives.

    “The Nigerian Navy has been given the mandate to apprehend any ship suspected to be carrying out illegalities in the Nigerian maritime domain, however, by law, we are not allowed to carry out prosecution of offenders.

    Read Also: Court restrains EFCC, others from arresting lottery operators

    “We are directed to handover seized vessels to the EFCC for further investigations and possible prosecution,” he said.

    Mr Abdullahi Musa, a Senior Detective Superintendent and leader of the EFCC team from Port Harcourt Zonal office received the vessel and promised that EFCC would carry out thorough investigation into the matter.

    “We will carry out thorough investigation with a view to determining the level of involvement, content of the vessel and prosecution of those involved.”

    The News men reports that officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) took samples of the content of the vessels for further laboratory analysis.

    NAN

  • EFCC re-arraigns Dariye’s son over alleged money laundering

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday in Abuja, re-arraigned Nanle Dariye, son of former Plateau governor, Sen. Joshua Dariye, on a six-count amended charge of money laundering.

    The the total sum in question is about N1.5 billion.

    Dariye who was re-arraigned before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu at the Federal High Court, Abuja, entered a “not guilty” plea to all six-counts.

    When the matter was called, the prosecuting counsel, Mr George Adebola said that the matter was for re-arraignment and prayed the court to read the charge to the defendant to take his plea.

    Justice Ojukwu adjourned the matter until April 27 and May 10 for commencement of trial.

    It will be recalled that the EFCC had first arraigned Dariye on Feb. 27 on the same charges alongside Apartment le Paradis, a hotel where he was a director.

    The anti-graft agency alleged that the defendant sometime in 2013, failed to report a cash transaction to the tune of about N1.5 billion which he received through the hotel’s account in one of the old generation banks.

    It said that the amount was above the threshold of the N10 million permissible by law and that the hotel was also not registered as Designated Non-Financial Institution, (DNFI).

    The agency said the offense contravened Section 5(1) (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 5 (b) of the same Act.

    Dariye’s was admitted to bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum.

     

  • Oil Theft: Navy Hands two seized vessels to EFCC in Warri

     

    Two ocean-going vessels, arrested since 2016, were on Thursday handed over to officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), by the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta in Warri.

    Explaining that the handing over was in tandem with the Nigerian laws and processes, the Commander of the NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, who was represented by the Executive Officer of the ship, Navy Captain Adeyemi Adewuyi, said the navy had played its part in curbing illegalities in the maritime environment by arresting the vessels.

    According to him, the vessels were intercepted and arrested within the area of responsibility of the NNS Delta in February 2016, suspected to be involved in illegal operations, adding that they were both laden with about 120 tons of liquid substance suspected to be illegally refined petroleum product.

    He said further that the Navy had carried out all the due preliminary investigations, as were required of it, and had invited the EFCC over to take over further actions, including prosecution.

    “The Nigerian Navy has been given the responsibility to arrest any ship suspected to be carrying out illegalities in the Nigerian maritime domain and these are the type of vessels being referred to and we have arrested them”.

    “The Nigerian Navy by law is not allowed to carry out prosecution of offenders because of that, we have being directed to handover the seized vessels to the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) for further investigations and possible prosecution”, Dewu said.

    The leader of the EFCC team from the Benin Zonal office, Mr. Richard Ogberaga, who received the handling over documents, reaffirmed the commitment of the commission to carry out further investigation with the aim of determining level of involvements, content of the vessels and prosecution of those found wanting in the crime.

  • Arms scam: Jonathan’s cousin has case to answer – Court

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered former President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin, Robert Azibaola to defend himself in a fraud allegation of 40 million dollars leveled against him and his company, One Plus Holding Ltd by the Federal Government.

    The court on Thursday ordered Azibaola to defend himself on two out of the nine-count charge preferred against him by the government.

    He was to defend himself on the two counts bordering on being in possession of and converting the sum of 40 million dollars received from the office of the former National Security Adviser, (NSA), and Retired Col.Sambo Dasuki to personal use.

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba made the order while ruling on the no-case-submission filed by Azibaola and his wife, Stella.

    The court, however, discharged and acquitted Stella of all the nine-count charge leveled against her.

    Dimgba in discharging Stella held that being wife to Azibaola was not enough to charge her with the offence since criminal liability was personal and not vicarious.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), the prosecuting agency in the matter had in 2016, preferred a 7-count charge against Azibaola, his wife, Stella and their company, that they received 40 million dollars’ worth of contract from Dasuki.

    They were subsequently arraigned on June 7, 2016 and were admitted to bail in the sum of N500 million each.

    They were, re-arraigned on April 27, 2017 this time on a 9-count amended charge.

    In the cause of the trial, the prosecution called 10 witnesses and tendered 27 documented evidences against the three parties and closed its case,

    Read Also: Alleged fraud: Court asks Jonathan’s cousin to enter defence

    Mr Chris Uche, (SAN) counsel to Azibaola and his wife however filed a no-case-submission.

    Uche insisted that the government had failed to establish a prima-facie case that would warrant his clients to enter a defence and prayed the court to discharge and acquit his clients.

    Delivering the court’s ruling on the no-case-submission, the judge held that two of the defendants had some explanations to do with regards to counts two and three.

    “It was claimed that the 40 million dollars released from the office of the former NSA to Azibaola and One Plus Holding Ltd was meant for the procurement of tactical communication kits.

    “Counts two and three are basically the same, the difference is that count two borders on possession of the sum of 40 million dollars while count three was hinged on conversion of the said amount.

    “Having reviewed the oral and documentary evidence tendered by the prosecution through its witnesses, this court holds the view that there is good reason for Azibaola and the company to proceed with their defence,” the court ruled

    The court noted that there was no evidence to show that the said tactical communication kits were supplied.

    “In the absence of any evidence to show supply of the tactical communication kits, the 1st (Azibaola) and 3rd (One Plus Holding) defendants are in a position to explain what the fund was used for.

    “On the whole, there is sufficient prima-facie case made out by the prosecution against the 1st and 3rd defendants.

    “The no-case-submission in respect of these two counts is refused,” the court held.

    The court absolved Azibaola and his company of any wrongdoing in counts one, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine.

    The judge adjourned the matter until June 4 for Azibaola to open his defence.

    NAN

  • N1.7b alleged fraud: Court grants First Nation Airline MD bail

    The Managing Director of First Nation airlines Kayode Odukoya has been granted bail by an Ikeja special offences court.

    Justice Mojisola Dada granted bail to the defendant after taking submissions of counsels to the parties in the matter.

    Justice Dada granted bail to Odukoya in the sum of N10 million and two sureties in like sum.

    The judge however ordered him to produce two sureties who are land owners in Lagos State and must deposit title documents with the court and tax clearance for three years.

    The court also granted Odukoya a temporary release provided he is able to deposit his international passport immediately with the court.

    Odukoya has two weeks to perfect the bail condition failure of which the defendant will be remanded in prison custody.

    Justice Dada based her decision to grant bail to the defendant on eight principles.

    The court considered the probability of the defendant jumping bail or not, probability of committing the crime, character of the defendant, strength of evidence, seriousness of the prosecution among others.

    Earlier, defence counsels, Olawale Akoni (SAN) and John Odubela (SAN) applied for bail for the defendant saying their application was already before the court.

    They urged the court to grant him bail in liberal terms.

    The Prosecutor, Zainab Ettu said she she was not opposed to bail for the defendant

    Odukoya was arraigned on March 16, 2018 before Justice Dada for alleged theft and forgery by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC).

    His company, First Nation Airlines and Bellview Airlines are joined in the suit as second and third defendants.

    He was arraigned on a four count charge of theft of N1.7 billion and forgery of Certificate of Occupancy issued by the Lagos State Government.

    The EFCC had alleged that the CEO of the airlines forged the Memorandum of Loss of Lagos State Certificate of Occupancy registered as No. 33 at page 33 volume 1011 at the Lagos State Land Registry, Alausa, Lagos, in order that the document be acted upon as genuine and that the forged document was in respect of a property located at No. 29, Oduduwa St., Ikeja GRA, Lagos.

    Odukoya is alleged by the EFCC to have used the false document and also gave false information on oath concerning the loss of the certificate of occupancy at the Lagos State Land Registry.

    The anti-graft commission also said that on October 7, 2016, Odukoya stole and dishonestly converted to his own use N1. 7 billion belonging to Skye Bank contrary to Sections 85, 86(1) 278(1)(b), 285, 361(1),(a) (b), 363 and 364(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

    Further trial has been adjourned till May 7 and 10, 2018.

    Read Also: EFCC arraigns First Nation Airline MD for alleged theft, forgery