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Tag: EFCC

  • How Diezani cash was allegedly shared, by EFCC

    How Diezani cash was allegedly shared, by EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has tendered documents in court showing how funds allegedly diverted by former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke were allegedly shared.

    It alleged that Mrs. Alison-Madueke shared $115,010,000 (about N35 billion) to various individuals in 36 states ahead of the 2015 general elections.

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mohammed Belgore, and a former minister of National Planning, Prof Abubakar Suleiman, are on trial before Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    The anti-graft commission accused them of directly receiving N450 million in cash from Mrs. Alison-Madueke without going through a financial institution. They pleaded not guilty.

    The money they received, the commission said, was shared to electoral officers and others in Kwara State.

    Suleiman and Belgore, according to documents tendered by the EFCC, collected N450 million on behalf of Kwara.

    Every other state also got part of the cash, according to documents sighted by our correspondent yesterday.

    For instance, two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chiefs received N500 million for Cross River State; two party chiefs got N650 million on behalf of Lagos State; while two partymen received N450 million for Taraba State.

    Two PDP chiefs collected N700 million for Kaduna State; two party chiefs got N450 million for Gombe State; four party chiefs got N700 million on behalf of Imo State, while two men collected N450 million for Anambra State, among others.

    The commission tendered two documents marked as Exhibits 7 and 7A, with breakdown of how the monies were to be shared.

    According to one of the documents entitled: Kwara State, four polling booth agents in 2,406 units got N10,000 each (amounting to N96,240,000), while presiding officers got N20,000 each (totalling N48,120,000).

    Fifteen electoral officers received N250,000 each (totalling N3,750,000); 15 supervisors got N100,000; 15 returning officers were given N50,000 each; 193 ward returning officers got N20,000 each (totalling N3,860,000), while the state returning officer allegedly got N1 million.

  • EFCC: DSS operatives invited over $2.2b arms scandal

    EFCC: DSS operatives invited over $2.2b arms scandal

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited some Department of State Services (DSS) operatives for questioning over the $2.2billion arms procurement scandal in which a former  National Security Adviser,   Col. Sambo Dasuki, is implicated.

    Such summons were common to all military, security establishments as well as the political class, the EFCC said yesterday.

    It explained that the invitation of the operatives had nothing to do with a revenge-instigated investigation of the DSS by the EFCC because Mr. Ibrahim Magu was not confirmed by the Senate as the chairman of the anti-graft agency.

    The DSS is yet to grant the request of the EFCC for the release of the operatives.

    The Head of Media and Publicity, EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement in Abuja, said the probe was not targeted at any institution.

    The statement said: “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been drawn to a report on the invitation of some DSS operatives.

    “The report painted a picture of an imaginary feud brewing between the Department of State Services (DSS) and EFCC over the alleged invitation of some DSS operatives, which it claimed  was an attempt by the Commission to ‘rubbish’ the Service since the DSS was not answerable to the EFCC.

    ”It is important to state that it is not strange for the EFCC to invite (for questioning) officers of other law enforcement agencies alleged to be complicit in any case being investigated by the Commission.

    “But there are protocols in doing this; and part of that protocol is to write to the heads of such agencies, requesting that the officer(s) in question be released to be interviewed.

    Read: EFCC grills ex-Governor Idris Wada

    ”In the course of investigating the arms procurement scandal in the Office of the former  National Security Adviser, ONSA,  Col. Sambo Dasuki, the Commission has had cause to request the release of officers of other security agencies, including the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Navy and now the DSS, for questioning. All but the DSS have acceded to this request.”

    The EFCC clarified that it was not on any revenge-instigated investigation against the DSS.

    The statement added: “For the avoidance of doubt, the arms procurement investigation is national in outlook, with alleged culprits cutting across the military, security establishments as well as the political class. It is not targeted at any institution.

    “Consequently, the insinuation about a revenge-instigated investigation of the DSS by the EFCC over its role in the Senate’s refusal to confirm Ibrahim Magu as substantive chairman of the EFCC is not only specious, but pure mischief contrived for motives that are unclear.”

    Read Also: Does EFCC ‘torture’ detainees?

  • EFCC arraigns 29 Beninese for alleged illegal oil bunkering

    EFCC arraigns 29 Beninese for alleged illegal oil bunkering

    THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned 29 Benin Republic citizens at the Federal High Court in Lagos for alleged illegal oil bunkering.

    They allegedly dealt in petroleum products at the Lagos anchorage without licence or authorisation.

    EFCC said the suspects had no valid travelling documents to enter Nigeria and did not have permission to sail on its waters or to trade in petroleum products.

    The defendants, who sailed in a wooden boat, claimed they came to Nigeria to buy diesel in drums from a vessel at Apapa.

    A Naval Officer, Deinyefa Bozegha, who arrested them, said he received intelligence report that a wooden boat was lurking around the Lagos anchorage to transact illegally with a vessel, MT Matrix 1.

    The EFCC filed three different charges against the defendants before Justice Hadiza Shagari. They pleaded not guilty.

    In the first charge, Isaac Ogboji and Oluwashina Ogbugbure were accused of aiding unlawful and unauthorised dealing in petroleum products without licence.

    In the second charge, which has Honffo Djidenu, Hounssa Bergakola, Atungbe Paul, Honffo Eminu, Hounssa Achilit and Hounffo Djoelit as defendants, EFCC said they illegally dealt in petroleum products on September 7 at the Lagos anchorage in Apapa.

    Others named in the third charge are Blessing David, Attau Abel, Sunday Odepo, Francis Agba, Peter Honfo, Batoromi Digi, Nuel Megbe, Jerome Ilewagbemi, Kankor Bidemi, Amuse Awatu, Isaac Torwuloten, Martins Aviwe, Kojo Cheji, Edumo Rofor, Koko Rofor, Jimoh Megba, Jockten Tomatu, Ado Leon, James Oke, Dominic Nwagu and Ado Rafino.

    EFCC said they also dealt in petroleum products without permission.

    The alleged offence contravenes Section 1 (19) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act of 2004 and punishable under 1 (17) (b).

    EFCC said a Nigerian Navy ship on routine patrol on September 7 intercepted a wooden boat laden with 140 empty drums with six crew members (Djidenu, Bergakola, Paul, Eminu, Achilit and Djoelit) on board.

    One of the defendants, Ojidenu (27), a Beninese fisherman, said he accompanied his boss Hounssa Kola to buy diesel from Nigeria and that they were arrested in the process of doing the transaction.

    Another suspect, 21-year-old Eminu, also a fisherman, said someone informed him that they had diesel to sell in Nigeria, and that he came with others to buy.

    EFCC said the vessel is under arrest by the Navy.

    Justice Shagari ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody pending hearing of their bail applications.

    She adjourned till November 15 and 16.

  • EFCC grills ex-Governor Idris Wada

    EFCC grills ex-Governor Idris Wada

    For about seven and a half hours yesterday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) grilled a former Kogi State Governor Idris Wada in connection with the ongoing probe of N23billion poll bribery scandal.

    The poll bribery cash was facilitated by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison- Madueke.

    Wada was quizzed in respect of about N500million allocated to Kogi State.

    The anti-graft commission also quizzed a former acting Governor of Taraba State Sani Abubakar Danladi over another tranche of N450million bribe cash.

    It was unclear last night if the ex-governor had been released.

    An EFCC source said: “The ex-governor came to the EFCC at about noon on Monday for interrogation on the N500million allocated to the state.

    “Our detectives were able to show him some transactions and asked Wada to clarify a few things.”

    In a separate statement, the EFCC said it has also quizzed a former Acting Governor of Taraba State, Sani Abubakar Danladi.

    The statement said: “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Gombe zonal office today quizzed a former Ag. Governor of Taraba State, Sani Abubakar Danladi in respect of the N450m collected by him through Senators Joel Dallami Ikenya and Hon. Mark Bako Useni during the 2015 Presidential Election . “The amount in question was part of the N23b allegedly doled out by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.

    Danladi told interrogators that he chaired the eight-man committee that disbursed the money for Taraba State.

    “He further stated that, he and the other members of the committee shared N36m among themselves while the  balance of N414m was distributed to other stakeholders across the 16 local government areas of the state and one Development Area Council.”

    Out of over 23 billion Naira, which the EFCC report said was used to influence the elections, a committee established that N3,046,829,000  was received by some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) in 16 states.

    About 205 staff of INEC had been suspended pending the conclusion of investigation and trial by EFCC.

    But the cases of a former National Commissioner, 5 former Resident Electoral Commissioners (one of them deceased) have been referred to the Presidency and EFCC for further necessary action.

     

  • My dream is to leave a better Nigeria – Magu

    My dream is to leave a better Nigeria – Magu

    Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)¸ Mr Ibrahim Magu, on Monday in Austria said his major preoccupation now was to leave a better Nigeria for the next generation.

    Magu stated this after the opening ceremony of the 7th Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCA) holding at the U.N. House in Vienna, the capital.

    In a statement, spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, said the EFCC boss made the remarks while speaking with a group of fellow participants who approached him to ask what had been his driving force in the anti-corruption fight in Nigeria.

    Among members of the EFCC boss’ audience was Gilean Dell, the Coordinator of UNCAC Coalition, a Global anti corruption movement, Uwujaren said.

    “I have conscience, in spite of the deliberate act to annoy me and make me think of throwing in the towel.

    “My conscience tells me that I should not give up. I shall continue to fight the corruption war until my last breath.

    “My dream is to leave a better Nigeria, free of corruption to the next generation. We cannot continue the way we are going; otherwise, there will be no Nigeria for the next generation.

    “This rubbish called corruption was caused by my generation, so it is our duty to fight it and annihilate it. We must leave a better life for the next generation,’’ he reportedly said.

    The anti-graft czar also said he was encouraged by the political will of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.

    “We have a President who has a zero tolerance for corruption. I, therefore, have no excuse not to take advantage of the situation to make an indelible mark in the fight against corruption in Nigeria,’’ Magu said.

    Read Also:

    Magu: I have no asset abroad

  • EFCC probing NITDA’s 2017 contract awards, says minister

    EFCC probing NITDA’s 2017 contract awards, says minister

    Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu has revealed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was already investigating allegations of impropriety in award of some contracts by the National Information Technology and Development Agency (NITDA).

    He spoke while fielding questions on Ibadan-based Fresh FM radio programme, Political Circuit, at the weekend.

    The minister said the Federal Government would await the outcome of the investigation on the petition written against the NITDA management over its spending of the 2017 budget estimates to know the next step to take on the matter.

    Kaduna-based Good Governance and Accountability Monitoring Group (GGAMG) had, in a September 27 petition, accused the Director General of NITDA, Dr. Isa Pantami of flouting  the Procurement Act with an alleged  grand plan to cede the entire NITDA budget for the year 2017 to a certain company (Galaxy Blackbone).

    The group argued that the decision could affect the nation’s economy going by the quantum of the contract.

    Shittu said: “Before I received the letter, the case was with EFCC. I was merely copied. Since that is done, it is not in my power to investigate alleged criminality. I think we should look up to EFCC on that matter.

    “Of course, NITDA has also responded and gave me a copy of its response but I don’t have the prerogative power to investigate. If the matter had not gone to EFCC, I would have set up a committee to look into it. But let me sound this note of warning; on a matter of contracts, so many people get used when they are not succeeding in getting what they want in the processes.

    “I am not saying people in NITDA or other government agencies are saint or angels but you have to look at the two ways deeply. At my level, I wish EFCC, to whom the original petition was address take it up and take a decision and report appropriately,” Shittu maintained.

  • Patience Jonathan ’s $15.591m case gets new date

    Patience Jonathan ’s $15.591m case gets new date

    The Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday adjourned the hearing of Mrs Patience Jonathan ’s suit seeking to unfreeze her accounts till December 4.

    The accounts are said to have $15.5million in them.

    Justice Mohammed Idris adjourned to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) regularise its processes.

    The judge on May 8 held that Mrs Jonathan and other parties must give oral evidence on the money’s ownership.

    According to him, all the defendants’ counter-affidavits contain disputed facts that could not be decided without oral evidence.

    “In the circumstances, the court hereby orders that the parties herein file pleadings in accordance with the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2009 and trial shall then proceed accordingly,” Justice Idris held.

    The EFCC had urged the court not to unfreeze the accounts because the money was suspected to be “proceed of crime”.

    Skye Bank Plc, Jonathan’s former aide Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd, Trans-Ocean Property and Investment Company Ltd and Avalon Global Property Development Ltd are the other respondents.

    The companies, through their representatives, had pleaded guilty to laundering the money last September 15 when they were arraigned before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the same court.

    They were charged along with Dudafa, Briggs and a banker, Adedamola Bolodeoku, for allegedly laundering the money.
    Unlike the companies, Dudafa, Briggs and Bolodeoku pleaded not guilty to the 17-count charge.

    In a supporting affidavit to her application, Mrs Jonathan’s aide, Sammie Somiari, said Dudafa helped the former first lady to open the accounts around March 2010.

    The deponent claimed Mrs Jonathan was the sole signatory to the accounts and that she had no relationship with the companies.

  • Ex-INEC staff explains N30m ‘Diezani cash’

    Ex-INEC staff explains N30m ‘Diezani cash’

    A former Administrative Secretary at the Kwara State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mr Christian Nwosu on Thursday denied being bribed by former Petroleum Minister Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke to rig the 2015 general election results.

    He said the N30 million he was alleged to have collected from her was spent on logistics.

    Nwosu said his office knew about the money and how it was spent.

    He spoke while testifying in a trial-within-trial before Justice Ibrahim Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
    Under cross-examination by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, Nwosu claimed he did not personally benefit from the money.

    He said it was shared to INEC ad-hoc staff for logistics.

    He said: “I did not personally benefit from the N30 million. The ad-hoc staff benefitted because the election went smoothly with the assistance of the logistics support. My commission was aware of the money and the evidence was that the election went smoothly.”

    On how he got the cash, he said: “The money was not given to me by way of cheque. We were asked to go to the bank to collect it. No cheque was given to me at the bank. I just signed a document at the bank which confirmed the receipt of the money.

    “I did not instruct the bank to transfer the money to any account because it was not for me but for the coordinator (Mr Isa Adedoyin) who is to ensure that the money gets to the ad-hoc staff.”

    Nwosu said N17 million was paid into his Diamond Bank Plc account on April 7, 2015, while N13 million was also paid into his Union Bank account on April 13, 2015.

    Nwosu had earlier claimed that EFCC allegedly forced him to surrender his property worth N30million.

    He said he was also induced to part with N5million in a bid to regain his freedom.

    According to him, “the statements he made at EFCC were dictated to him while the one he made voluntarily was described as “rubbish”.

    Nwosu and Tijani Inda Bashir were accused of receiving N30million bribe from Mrs Alison-Madueke.

    They were arraigned along with Yisa Adedoyin, who pleaded guilty to receiving the cash payment of N70,050,000.00 from Mrs Alison-Madueke.

    Mrs Alison-Madueke is also named in the charge, but is said to be “at large”.

    Justice Idris adjourned to November 15.

  • EFCC alleges plot to frame Magu

    EFCC alleges plot to frame Magu

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to frame its Acting Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, with ownership of assets abroad.

    Spokesman for the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement on Wednesday that “shadowy interests at the receiving end” of the agency’s anti-corruption campaign were behind the alleged scheme.

    “Those behind the plot, which is believed to be part of a grand design to discredit the anti-graft czar, have allegedly finalised plans to name Magu as the owner of choice properties in exotic locations abroad.

    “The commission has information that the desperate cabal could take their gambit to the ridiculous extent of purchasing properties and registering them in the name of Ibrahim Magu to make the plot believable.

    “They are also prepared to sponsor some political hirelings who would come out openly to claim they have information about the property acquisitions.”

    According to him, the alleged plot is aimed at tainting the “unblemished integrity” of Magu to make him an object of public ridicule.

    “The commission, however, wishes to alert the public that Magu has no interest in any property whatsoever outside Nigeria.

    “He has neither bought a house anywhere outside Nigeria nor commissioned any person or corporate body to acquire property in his name or any name remotely linked to him.

    “The latest plot is coming many months after the commission similarly raised alarm over plots by some interests to pay humungous sums into Magu’s accounts with a view to releasing the information as evidence he had been compromised.”

    The EFCC spokesman quoted Magu as saying that the schemes would never make him lose focus in his assignment to defeat corruption in the country.

    “They can only irritate me, but they can’t stop me because all men of goodwill in this country know the sacrifices that we are making to improve the fortunes of our nation.
    “Those who assume that I have properties abroad, can go and claim them”, Magu was quoted as saying. (NAN)

  • EFCC resumes probe of Osborne’s $43.4m cash

    EFCC resumes probe of Osborne’s $43.4m cash

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has resumed the probe into the $43.4million cash recovered at Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos which led to Monday’s sacking of National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Director-General Ayo Oke by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The Presidency said it is in order for anti-graft agencies to probe the former NIA boss and the sacked Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal.

    There were indications last night that the EFCC had received the report of the Presidential Investigative Committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    More suspects from the NIA and outside it are to be invited for interrogation by the anti-graft agency, it was learnt.

    The EFCC deferred action on the interrogation of some suspects because it wanted the Osinbajo panel to conclude its assignment.

    A top source in the anti-graft agency, who spoke in confidence last night, said: “On Tuesday, we resumed the ongoing probe of the $43.4million, 27,000 pounds and N23.2million recovered on April 12, 2017 from the seventh floor of a four-bedroom apartment at Osborne Towers located on 16, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    “We have shortlisted more suspects for interrogation and we are likely to pick them up any moment from now. Some of the suspects are NIA men  including those in the Finance Unit.

    “Don’t forget that the then Acting President approved the redeployment of NIA’s Director of Finance and some officials in the Finance Unit as part of the ongoing review of the finances of the agency.”

    The detectives are being led by the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, who has reconvened the team handling the investigation.

    “Some of the detectives might still visit Lagos for more forensic evidence on some of the suspects,” it was learnt.

    A judge of the Federal High Court  in Lagos, Justice Muslim Hassan,  had on June 6, 2017 granted a final forfeiture order of the funds since no one appeared before the court to claim them.