Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday met behind closed doors with the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.
Magu arrived the Acting President’s office around 2.28p.m.
The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.
Details Later…
Detectives are likely to interrogate Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu’s wife, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sources said yesterday.
The anti-graft commission is probing Ekweremadu’s wife over one of the companies under its searchlight.
The EFCC is said to have hinted Ekweremadu of the likely invitation of his wife.
Besides, the EFCC yesterday confirmed the Deputy Senate President’s discharge from hospital on Saturday and its readiness to resume his interrogation.
But former Senate Leader Ali Ndume yesterday faulted the EFCC for allegedly treating Ekweremadu with kid gloves.
A source, who pleaded not to be named because he is not permitted to speak on the matter, said: “Our detectives need to interrogate Ekweremadu’s wife in relation to the activities of a suspected slush company. We may quiz her any moment from now. And we told the Deputy President of the Senate why we require the attention of his wife too.
“We have linked another property to Ekweremadu, bringing the assets to 62. We are digging more and contrary to what his media aide is saying, the Deputy President of the Senate is well informed of issues isolated for him to clear.
“We do not want to join issues on the pages of newspapers but if the media aide prefers propaganda, we will release the fact-sheet on Ekweremadu for Nigerians to appreciate the extent of our investigation on him.”
The source added: “A hospital has confirmed the discharge of Ekweremadu on Saturday. We are resuming his interrogation immediately because he is now fit.”
Ndume told reporters: “Well, interrogation by EFCC for suspected crime or anything is nothing new but what I find very strange and not happy with truly is the way EFCC is handling the investigation of the Deputy Senate President, particularly and, by extension, even the way the Inspector General of Police is handling the case of Saraki.
“Everybody is equal before the law and that is what it should be. EFCC invited him, he was known to be sick and he went to a hospital not under the custody of EFCC.
“Ekweremadu should have gone to EFCC hospital because they will even give him better treatment than whichever hospital he has gone to. Now people like me are beginning to suspect that the EFCC is giving him soft landing.
“EFCC is treating some people preferentially and that is wrong. I don’t think the EFCC chairman, Ibrshim Magu, is doing the right thing by doing that. They should be treated equally, not even Ekweremadu, Ali Ndume or even Buhari.
“Once anybody has issues with the law, they should be treated like every other person.
“Several ministers that are related with anything to do with money laundering or any financial crime, like the former Governor of Plateau, were invited, arrested and detained by EFCC.
“Senator Peter Nwaoboshi was arrested by EFCC; he is also a senator, detained and released later. He had issues that are medical.
“ So I begin to wonder whether Magu is trying to compromise or change his style and I want to say that if he is doing his job, he should do it regardless of whoever is involved as long as there is an established case against an individual, he should be treated as any other person.
“I am not saying that he should not be allowed to go to the hospital but he should go to the hospital under the care of EFCC.”
Ndume listed those who had encounters with the EFCC and got not preferential treatment.
He said: “I, as a senator was accused one time and I was detained for 30 days and when I sought for medical attention, I got it from the DSS. Judges houses have been raided and they were taken to custody and they were released on bail. David Mark was invited by EFCC and his passport was seized by EFCC.
Stella Oduah was invited by EFCC and her passport was seized and she was allowed out on bail based on self recognisance.
“They invited Ekweremadu and as they were interrogating him, he said he was not feeling well and they said he should go to hospital and come back.
“That I find very strange. I am not saying he should not be accorded the respect of getting medical attention but if I go into EFCC, I can as well say I am sick and go. Tomorrow when I come, I can say my blood pressure has gone up again, another day I can say I have headache or fever.
“If that is the way they will handle their investigation, then I begin to get worried.”
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Friday faulted the report that he developed high blood pressure while being interrogated by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ).
Ekweremadu also said that contrary to reports there were no “fresh facts” presented to him.
The Deputy Senate President who insisted that there was not iota of truth in the “propaganda” to smear his image, urged Nigerians to disregard the reports.
Ekweremadu who spoke through his media aide said:
“My attention has been drawn to false reports in some national dailies that the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, developed High Blood Pressure in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC) upon alleged presentation to him of a fresh set of purported “hidden properties” supposedly acquired by him. There is no truth to this propaganda.
“It would be recalled that operatives of the EFCC and men of the Nigeria Police laid siege to his residence at about 6am on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, requesting him to report at its headquarters at 10am the same Tuesday. However, no letter of invitation was delivered to him until around 9am of that day.
“Since the siege would not allow him to honour the belated “invitation” the same day, he, as a law-abiding citizen, wrote to the EFCC to request for another date, hence the rescheduled appointment of Tuesday, July 31, 2018.
“Senator Ekweremadu honoured the 10am appointment on the fixed date and left in the evening of the same day when he was granted bail on self-recognizance with an understanding that he would report at the EFCC office at 10am the next day for a continuation of the interview.
“He reported at the EFCC on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, at 10am as scheduled, but informed them that he was not feeling well, a fact the EFCC doctor confirmed. He was then allowed to leave to see his doctor and it was agreed that a new date would be fixed for continuation of the interview.
“So, there was no interrogation whatsoever on Wednesday, let alone presentation of so-called additional “facts” that purportedly triggered his blood pressure. Likewise, there were no new “facts” presented to him the previous day, Tuesday, July 31, beside those concocted by the dismissed Chief Judge of Enugu State, Innocent Umezulike and his cohorts in their petition.
“The Office feels compelled by the mischief and orchestrated media trial to put the “facts” straight on this particular issue.
“We thank our supporters for their genuine concern and prayers. We equally urge them to remain calm.”
The chairman of the reformed- All Progressives Congress (R-APC), Alhaji Buba Galadima has warned that the task of unseating President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 would not be an easy task.
Galadima spoke in Abuja on Thursday during the unveiling of the secretariat of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and the inauguration of the steering committee for the coalition.
Addressing a coalition of the 39 parties, Galadima urged the group to brace up for tough times ahead, saying that taking over power from a retired army general isn’t not a small task.
The rAPC chairman told the coalition group, being led by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to be prepared for harassment, intimidation and name calling as well as several other divisive tendencies.
Galadima said, “Trying to take over power from a retired military general is not a small task. It is a herculean task. But we will try. Over 200 million Nigerians out there are waiting for us. The masses of this country have since shifted their support from the ruling All Progress Congress (APC)
“They will attempt to intimidate, harass as well as bribe and divide us. They have called our people all sorts of names. They will still call several people more names.
“But we are not afraid of being arrested, intimidated or harassed by the EFCC and the ICPC. General Buhari will not be the president to be sworn in come May 29th, 2019”.
He charged those currently sitting on the fence to quickly join the coalition and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a free, fair, credible and transparent election in 2019.
According to him, Nigerians will not accept the repeat of what happened during the Ekiti State governorship election, which he said was rigged by the APC.
Also speaking at the event, the national chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, decried what he described as the harassment of the leadership of the Senate.
Secondus said it was time for the coalition to rescue Nigeria from the “misgovernance”, which h said is typified by senseless killing of innocent Nigerians and harassment of opposition elements.
This National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olu Falae advised the coalition members to be wary of those who might want to do everything possible to split their ranks.
“We must be wary of those who will come to scatter us by trying to sow seeds of discord, spread fake news and adopt divisible measures to achieve their sinister motive”, Falae added.
He enjoined members to always cross check any information they get before believing or acting on it, saying such information might be fake, as the stakes are very high.
A former Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, who also spoke at the event, said the coalition was borne out of the peculiar circumstances the nation finds itself at this time
Ikimi said, “The coalition is in the quest for a return to a virile and durable democratic process that will assure respect for civil liberties and human rights and to maintain a culture of sustained adherence to the rule of law.
“I confirm that there has not been a single crack in the alliance since its formation, despite unsavory attempts by our main opponents, who have deliberately or mischievously attempted to initiate or present nonexistent cracks in the alliance to the public.
“We have never claimed that all the 68 registered political parties in the country are members of the alliance. There are 39 parties who indicated interest in the alliance and 35 of them were available to endorse the document on the Inauguration.
“Since then the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) has joined the alliance and has also signed the document. None of the parties that signed the MOU has departed from the grand alliance”.
Besides the PDP, other parties in the coalition include the Action Alliance (AA); Alliance for Democracy (AD); Africa Democratic Party (ADC); Action Democratic Party (ADP); All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP); Action People’s Party (APP); Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD); and Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP).
Others are the Democratic Alternative (DA); Democratic People’s Party (DPC); Grand Democratic Party of Nigeria (GDPN); Green Party of Nigeria (GPN); KOWA Party; Labour Party (LP); Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA); and Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN).
Also in the group are the National Conscience Party (NCP); New Generation Party (NGP); National Unity Party (NUP); Nigeria Intervention Movement (NIM); People’s Alliance for National Development and Liberty (PANDEL); Peoples Progressive Party (PPP); People for Democratic Change (PDC); Providence People’s Congress (PPC); and the Reformed All Progressive Congress (RAPC).
Others are the Restoration Party of Nigeria (RPN); Social Democratic Party (SDP); Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN); All Grassroots Alliance (AGA); National Interest Party (NIP); Nigeria Democratic Congress Party (NDCP); Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA); and Young Democratic Party (YDP) among others.
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government is persecuting him.
Ortom, who lamented that he is the only governor being probed for using security votes, described his investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as pa witch hunt.
He urged EFCC to begin its probe of security votes from the Presidency.
The governor, who addressed reporters after a state broadcast in Makurdi, said: “I am the only governor in Nigeria whose security vote is being investigated by the EFCC. Why should Benue be different if not for persecution?
He said: “If the EFCC wanted a genuine investigation of security vote spending, it should have started from the Presidency before moving to the states, but this is not the case. I want the whole world to know that this is about persecution and a clear case of witch hunting.
“With the enormous security challenges in the state since I becamse governor, it is surprising that anyone would expect me to do nothing but keep the security vote in the safe.
“The security vote spending being investigated spans between 2015 and 2018, a period of grave security challenges. I reiterate that the investigation is a clear case of persecution.
“I have not misappropriated, diverted or stolen any money; I have nothing to hide. I am sure the investigators would find nothing incriminating against me.”
Ortom, who also said he was persecuted for enacting the Anti-Open Grazing Law and his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), wondered why he could not associate with any party of his choice.
He reiterated that he defected to the PDP because his interest and that of the people were no longer protected in the APC.
“I should be free to associate with any political party of my choice. After all, they say there are no permanent enemies in politics but permanent interests.
“At this time, the interest of Benue is not being protected by the APC and that is why I have defected. And I think for now, the PDP is best for the state.
A Makurdi High Court has restrained the eight suspended House of Assembly members from proceeding with the impeachment of Ortom.
Justice Theresa Igoche also restrained them from sitting, and upheld their suspension pending the determination of the motion on notice.
She said: “I agree with the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) that the applicants have made out a case for the grant of orders sought therein.
“The order also restrains the chief judge of Benue State from receiving or acting on any process or request issued pursuant to the purported sitting, proceedings and resolutions of July 30, 2018, aimed at or started to remove Governor Samuel Ortom pending the determination of the motion on notice.”
Justice Igoche upheld the subsisting order earlier given by the Chief Judge, Justice Adam Onum, restraining the former Speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange, and ex-principal officers from parading as same.
He ordered the security agencies to vacate the Assembly’s premises.
Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Michael Gusa hailed the ruling, saying as a law abiding government, they will always seek redress in the court.
Governor Ortom has been named leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State.
National Chairman Uche Secondus led three other governors – Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe); Darius Ishaku (Taraba) and , Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) – to hand over party structures to Ortom yesterday.
Former Governor Gabriel Suswam, who was the sole financier and party leader, was conspicuously absent at the solidarity visit. He is eyeing the Benue North-East senatorial seat, presently occupied by Chief Barnabas Gemade who also defected to the PDP.
Secondus said: “From now, Governor Samuel Ortom is the leader of PDP in Benue State.”
Ortom, on his part, asked the National Leadership to give him the fattest cow.
He said: “I have returned back to my home PDP; I’m the prodigal son and I’m now asking for the biggest cow.”
An Islamic organisation, Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, has partnered religious leaders, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ) Lagos Chapter on promotion of anti-corruption messages.
The event was held at Lagos State Secretariat Central Mosque, Alausa, Ikeja.
The partnership, according to its National Chief Imam, Fuad Adeyemi, was to ensure that messages against corruption in Nigeria had impact on the society.
Imam Adeyemi, who doubles as Executive Director of Encouraging Accountability and Transparency Through Faith-Based Intervention (EAT-FIn),
Adeyemi said the group since inception and during the last Ramadan has fed over 1, 500 people on a daily basis with three square meal.
Occasion Chairman Dr Abdulhakeem Abdulateef, Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, urged the participants to join the anti-corruption campaign by using their pulpits to preach against corruption.
He said: “Imams and Pastors are believed to be men of God, so we need all of you to help us to encourage the right values in the society particularly in the area of accountability and anti-corruption.
“We must remember that the Almighty Allah will ask all of us to render account of our deeds thereafter, so the Imams and other religious clerics should lead us in the right direction because they are our leaders”.
EFCC Lagos Zonal Head Umar Hadeja, who represented the Acting Chairman of the commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, noted that it is time Nigerians began to ask themselves some pertinent questions: “what does Islam say about corruption?” “What does the Quran say about the punishment that awaits any believing Muslim who engages in corrupt practices?”
Hadeja said faith-based organisations must be seriously involved in the enlightenment campaign, considering the fact that every religion preaches against moral decadence, act of indiscipline and other vices, including corruption.
NUJ Lagos State Council Chairman Dr Qasim Akinreti urged Islamic clerics to join the crusade to combat ills in the society especially in the area of corruption and other social vices.
“The NUJ Lagos state will continue to interact with leaders of different faiths towards promoting a just society free of corrupt practices,” he said.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detectives yesterday grilled Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu for eight hours over 22 allegedly undeclared assets.
The assets, suspected to have been acquired with illicit funds, are located in Abuja, the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
There were indications last night that Ekweremadu might be granted an administrative bail because his interrogation will take a while.
According to a source in EFCC, the Deputy Senate President got to EFCC at about 9am and, shortly after, was moved to a room to interact with detectives.
As at 6.27pm, Ekweremadu was still with the EFCC.
A source in the commission said: “Our detectives have been interacting with Ekweremadu in the last eight hours on some assets traced to him.
“So far, he has cooperated with our team. But he has more allegations to clarify. We will still be interacting intermittently with him.”
Asked if Ekweremadu will be detained, the source added: “Not at all; we are likely to release him later after the first stage of interaction has been completed.”
“We may however seek a court order to place some of these assets under Interim Forfeiture.”
In a suit, the Federal Government, through the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, has claimed that about 22 assets were undeclared by Ekweremadu
The properties are at No. 11, Evans Enwerem Street, Apo Legislative Quarters, Apo, Abuja; Plot 2633 Kyami, Abuja; Housing Estate (Plot 1106 CRD, Cadastral Zone 07-07, Lugbe, Abuja; Plot 2782 Asokoro Extension, Abuja, and Houses at Citi Park Estate, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Others are: Plot 1474 Cadastral Zone BD6, Mabushi, Abuja; Congress Court, Abuja; Flat 1, Block D25, Athletics Street, (24th Street) Games Village, Abuja; Plot 66, 64 Crescent, Gwarimpa Estate, Abuja.
In the United State are: 4507 Stella Street, Bellavida Estate Kissime, Florida, USA; 2747 Club Cortile Circle, Kissime, Florida, and 2763 Club Cortile Circle, Kissime, Florida.
The properties in London include Flat 4 Varsity Court, Harmer Street, WIH 4NW, London; and 52 Ayleston Avenue, NW6 7AB, London.
Those in Dubai are: Room 1903, The Address Hotel, Downtown Dubai; The Address Boulevard, 3901, Dubai; two Flats of Burij Side Boulevard (The Signature), Dubai; Emirate Gardens Apartment No. EGG1/1/114, Dubai; Emirate Gardens Apartment No. EGG1/115, Dubai; Apartment No. DFB/12/B 1204, Park Towers, Dubai; Flat 3604, MAG214, Dubai; and Villa No 148, Maeen 1, The Lakes Emirates Hills, Dubai.
UAE ’ll assist Nigeria to fight corruption, envoy tells Magu
The new envoy of the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria Fahad Al Taffat yesterday assured that his country will assist the EFCC to fight corruption
Al Taffat gave the pledge during a visit to the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren said the envoy claimed that he was at the EFCC to acquaint himself with the work of the agency.
He said he had been “fully apprised of the tremendous work of the Mohammadu Buhari administration in fighting corruption and violent extremism before he arrived in Nigeria.
The statement said: “Ambassador Al Taffat promised everything possible to assist the EFCC. “Whatever you need, just put it in writing, I will press for it. The UAE can assist you in the areas of capacity building, technical support and intelligence sharing”, he said.
He assured that his country already had a robust anti- money laundering framework, with an anti- money laundering unit domiciled at the Central Bank.
Magu thanked the envoy for the visit and assured him that he would return the gesture in two weeks.
He also briefed the envoy on recent engagements between the EFCC and the UAE that culminated in the signing of a number of bilateral agreements that have increased the tempo of cooperation between Nigeria and the UAE on corruption, money laundering and organized crime.
The Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday dismissed a no-case submission made by former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu.
Justice Mohammed Idris held that he has a case to answer in the money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
EFCC alleged that Kalu, he was governor between 2001 and September 2006, procured Slok Nigeria Limited, a company owned by him and members of his family, to retain N7.2billion in the Inland Bank Plc account, on his behalf.
The Commission said the money “formed part of the funds illegally derived from the treasury of Abia State government and converted to several bank drafts before they were paid into the said company’s account.”
Kalu was accused of collaborating with Udeh Jones Udeogu, Slok Nigeria Limited and Emeka Abone (at large) “in concealing the genuine origin of N7,197,871,208.70.”
He pleaded not guilty to an amended 39-count charge which EFCC said violates Section 17(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004, and was liable to be punished under Section 16.
The defendants had filed no-case submissions, urging the court to dismiss and acquit them as the prosecution’s case was “watery.”
A human rights group, the Access to Justice (A2Justice), has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to resist being used as a political tool.
It said deploying the agency as a tool against political opponents would further erode its integrity.
The group was reacting to an allegation that EFCC operatives barricaded the Deputy Senate President Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s legislative quarters in the early hours of July 24 to prevent him from getting to the Senate.
EFCC was said to have served Ekweremadu with an invitation by 8am, which was to be honoured by 10am.
It was alleged that the aim was to prevent him and Senate President Bukola Saraki, whose home was also allegedly blockaded, from getting to the Senate.
With lawmakers’ defections to other political parties planned for the day, it was claimed that the residences were barricaded to ensure the Senate could not conduct its proceedings due to the absence of its principal officers, although Saraki somehow made it to the Senate.
A2J, in a statement by its director Joseph Otteh and programme officer Daniel Igiekhumhe, said it was unfortunate that the EFCC and the Police were involved in the high-stakes episode of political drama.
“Many will find it particularly disappointing that the EFCC, a leading torchbearer of the fight against corruption, was co-opted into a scheme that was intended, from the beginning, wholly to serve partisan political objectives.
“The history of the Nigeria Police Force’ biases towards, and attachments to incumbent political office holders sticks out a mile, so that its involvement in the ploy, though regrettable, will hardly come as a surprise to many.
“The need for the EFCC to remain politically neutral and focused exclusively on fighting corruption is one that cannot be over-emphasised.
“Using the Commission’s powers to serve politically partisan ends will represent an invidiously corrupt use of, and departure from, that mandate, and will harm the perception of the Commission as an unbiased criminal justice agency.
“It will also play into the hands of those who are detractors of the Commission’s work, and provide them cannons with which to attack the Commission’s objectivity and judgments,” it said.
A2Justice said it feared that the EFCC may have already lost a significant measure of public goodwill, standing and trust following this incident, and it will be harder to rebuild its credibility after this stunt.
“The EFCC has made a grave mistake in its involvement in this incident and it must soberly reflect on how it will atone for, learn from, and put this incident behind it.
“The EFCC must, going forward, make a decision to follow the ‘straight and narrow’ path, stay above the fray and fickle of partisan politics, and stand its ground not to become puppets of any party or government; otherwise, just like the Police Force, it will grind slowly – in a way of speaking – into its own death.
“The precedent it has set with the Senator Ekweremadu incident must be overwritten with a clear and abiding commitment never to take that route again.
“A2Justice now urges the EFCC to immediately investigate its involvement in the Senate saga, and bring to account, any persons who may have authorised and executed the misuse of the Commission’s powers in that regard.
“It must also apologise to Nigerians over its role in the Senate affair, and make a public commitment that it will never again go down that lane again,” the group added.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned three Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials at the Federal High Court in Lagos for alleged N179.8million fraud.
Yemi Akinwonmi, Dickson Atiba and Ogunmodede Oladayo were accused of conspiring to take possession of the money in March 2015 ahead of the general election.
They were arraigned before Justice Muslim Hassan, who ordered that they be remanded in Ikoyi Prison pending hearing of their bail application.
EFCC said they received the money from Adeyinka Ayo-Aina when they “reasonably ought to have known that the money formed part of proceeds of fraud.”
According to the Commission, they handled the cash without going through a financial institution, thereby violating the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
The prosecution said Akinwunmi and Atiba, on or about April 7, 2015, made and accepted a cash payment of N69million.
It added that the sum “exceeded the amount authorised by law without going through a financial institution.”
EFCC said the alleged offence is contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended and punishable under Section 16(2).
Akinwonmi, Atiba and Oladayo pleaded not guilty to the charges.