BARELY 24 hours after it discovered N250 million at a popular Lagos market, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), last night, announced the discovery of another N4 billion suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The cash was alleged to belong to a deputy governorship candidate in Niger State.
The suspect and his Account Officer were said to be on the run as at press time.
According to a statement by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity Wilson Uwujaren, the N4 billion was discovered in a Fixed Deposit Account with Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).
The EFCC said two companies were used to launder the funds in two tranches of N2 billion apiece.
The statement reads: “A tip-off by a whistle blower on Tuesday, led to another discovery by the EFCC of a staggering sum of N4billion suspected to be proceeds of crime.
“Investigations as to the owner of the funds revealed that the money belongs to a former deputy governorship candidate in Niger State.
“The suspect uses the names of two companies – Katah Property & Investment Limited and Sadiq Air Travel Agency- in laundering the funds.
“Each of the company has N2 billion fixed in its deposit account domiciled in Guaranty Trust Bank.
“The suspected owner of the account and the account officer are currently on the run.”
Tag: EFCC
-
EFCC trails politician, banker over N4b ‘proceeds of crime’ deposit
-
Again, whistle blower leads EFCC to N4bn
Again, a whistle blower on Tuesday led the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to a staggering sum of N4 billion suspected to be proceeds of corruption.
The commission disclosed this in a Facebook post on Tuesday evening.
However, EFCC did not state where and how the latest discovery was made.
It said investigations revealed that the money belonged to a former deputy governorship candidate in Niger State.
“The suspect uses the names of two companies – Katah Property & Investment Limited, and Sadiq Air Travel Agency – in laundering the funds.
“Each of the company has N2 billion fixed in its deposit account domiciled in a bank.
“The suspected owner of the account and the account officer are currently on the run,” the commission said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the EFCC on Monday intercepted huge sums of money in various currencies totalling about N250 million at the popular Balogun market in Lagos.
According to its spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, the discovery followed information from a whistle blower that the money was being moved somewhere in the market for conversion into foreign currencies by unnamed persons.
The April 10 episode came barely three days after the commission recovered N449 million at an abandoned bureau de change in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Similarly, a tip-off by a whistle blower also led to the discovery of N49 million in crispy notes of N200 and N50 abandoned at the Kaduna International Airport on March 13.
-
EFCC cautions group over Twitter allegation
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday cautioned a pro-democracy advocacy group, Nigerian Wailers, over an allegation on Twitter.
The group had alleged in a tweet that the commission had assisted a popular lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), to acquire a N1 billion home in Abuja.
“Falana Acquires 1 Billion Naira Maitama Home With Help of EFCC,’’ it said via its handle @NGRWailers.
The commission responded almost immediately through its handle @officialEFCC, urging the Nigerian Wailers to tread with caution.
It said, “When you are invited to substantiate your claims, you will scream blue murder and then behave like your name. Please exercise caution.’’
The exchanges generated hilarious comments from other Twitter users, some of whom urged the EFCC to hold the group accountable for the “falsehood’’.
One Uche Jegbefume reacted via @jaustinuche with the photograph of a man in tears accompanied with the question, “Somebody cannot just joke with you?’’.
Another user, Chukwuemeka Nwosu, suggested that the group was only trying to gain publicity by its action.
“Some Nigerians love to be in the news. But when asked to illuminate their views they claim to have terminal illness,’’ he said.
Tweeting via @akeem_nosiru, one Akeem Nosiru urged the commission to deal with “@NGRWailers for perpetrating falsehood’’.
On its website, the Nigerian Wailers described itself as a community of people promoting the “citizens’ democracy’’.
“This is the pro-democracy platform that connects the people and the government through a reportage of activities of the government and demand for good governance,’’ it said.(NAN)
-
EFCC recovers N250m cash at Lagos market
ANOTHER cash haul was made yesterday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The agency recovered N250 million at the popular Balogun market in Lagos.
The cash haul came barely three days after the commission recovered N449 million at an abandoned bureau de change on Victoria Island, Lagos.
EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed yesterday’s incident in a statement, said the discovery followed a tip-off from a whistle-blower.
The intercepted money, according to him, include 547,730 Euros, 21,090 pounds and N5,648,500 about N250 million at the prevailing exchange rate at the parallel market.
“The interception followed information that about N250 million cash was being moved somewhere in the market for conversion into foreign currencies by unnamed persons.
“Operatives responded timely, met the money in a Bureau de Change (BDC) office, but a large chunk of it had been converted into Euro and Pounds sterling.
“The BDC operators found in possession of the monies claimed they were acting on behalf of their boss who sent the money to them from one of the Northern states in Nigeria,” Uwujaren said.
He said two suspects were assisting the commission in its investigation. -
ICPC, EFCC can’t fight corruption alone, says Nta
Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) Chairman Ekpo Nta at the weekend said anti-graft agencies cannot curb corruption alone.
Nta, who solicited the support of the public, stressed that the Federal Government can only succeed in its war against corruption, if the masses support it.
The ICPC chairman spoke at the convocation ceremony of Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State.
He hailed the whistleblowing idea introduced by the Federal Government, stressing that the policy has yielded results.
According to him, the commission now receives several petitions relating to corrupt practices on a daily basis from different quarters through the whistle-blowing system.
Nta, who delivered the convocation lecture, entitled: “Ethical Deficit, Corruption and Crisis of National Identity: Integrity of termites”, said the anti-graft agencies needed the support of ordinary Nigerians to fight corruption.
The ICPC chairman reiterated that “the whistle-blowing system has tremendously increased the number of petitions received by the commission unlike before when people were not encouraged to give out information to the commission”.
He said: “Anti-graft agencies cannot curb corruption. The victims of corruption are the ones who will drive the curbing of corruption because they are the ones paying for it.
“When we were operating in a system where we are not getting whistle-blowing tips from citizens, if you are lucky in a month, you will get anonymous petitions may be five to 10.”
He, however, warned people against malicious petitions to the commission in the name of whistle-blowing.
The university’s Pro-Chancellor, Bode Ayorinde, said the management of the institution would set up an ICPC club on the campus to further entrench discipline.
The lawmaker, representing Ose/Owo Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, urged the ICPC Chairman to come back to the institution to inaugurate the ICPC club as soon as it was set up.
At the convocation ceremony,429 students received Bachelor Degrees with 24 in First Class, 253 in Second Class (Upper), 135 Second Class (Lower) and Seven in Third Class. -
Ex-Acting DG of NIMASA: EFCC told me I was not the target
A former Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Acting Director-General, Haruna Jauro, who is on trial for alleged N304 million fraud, has told the Federal High Court in Lagos that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told him during investigation that he was not the target.
He said he was made to believe that he would be used as a prosecution witness in the trial of former NIMASA DG, Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi.
Jauro said EFCC operatives told him that he would be confirmed as the substantive DG, if he cooperated.
The former NIMASA Executive Director, Finance and Administration, acted briefly as DG following Akpobolokemi’s removal.
Jauro was charged along with Dr. Dauda Bawa and Thlumbau Enterprises Limited on 19 counts of converting a total of N304.1million belonging to NIMASA.
Testifying in a trial-within-trial to determine if his statement was made voluntarily, Jauro said in July 2015, a team of EFCC operatives visited NIMASA while he still acting as DG.
He said the operatives’ leader asked if he would like to be confirmed as DG.
He said: “I replied yes and the leader then told me that he would be happy if I was confirmed as substantive DG and that my maximum cooperation would be needed. He then told me that they were there to investigate the former DG and then asked me about my involvement in the running of the agency.
“I told him my involvement includes: employment of staff, procurement procedures, payment procedures, budget proposals and many other areas. After some days, he came back to me and said that he had discovered that all I told him about my activities in NIMASA were correct and that I had nothing to hide. He said EFCC would make me a witness in the trial of the ex-DG.”
According to him, the story changed when he got to the EFCC for interrogation and was given an asset declaration form to complete, but his lawyer was not allowed near the interrogation table.
Jauro said he was later told that there were “orders” from Abuja that he should be detained.
During cross-examination by EFCC prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo, Jauro said he was not forced to admit to any crime.
Oyedepo asked: “You were appointed in acting capacity as DG of NIMASA by the President and also removed by same authority right?” Jauro: “Yes”
The prosecutor asked: “So, it will be right to say the EFCC is not in any position to determine your appointment?” Jauro replied: “Well, yes.”
Oyedepo then asked Jauro if he personally filled the column for date, occupation, address and other details in the statement. Jauro answered in the affirmative.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun-Ishola adjourned till April 28 for adoption of written addresses in the trial-within-trial. -
EFCC arraigns IoD president, minting agency employee
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has the President of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Yemi Akeju over an alleged breach of the procurement law in the sale of a property belonging to the Federal Government.
He was arraigned along with a former staff of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc, named Mrs. Abieyiwa Aideyan.
The property is said to be known as Pacific Village located at Ijede, in Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
The EFCC said the defendants manipulated the bidding process in the sale which they advertised in The Guardian Newspaper on July 18, 2012.
Aideyan, who was NSPMP secretary, was said to have favoured a company, First Grant Nigeria Limited, owned by Akeju to purchase the land for N200million.
The defendant was accused of rejecting the offers submitted by Adprints Network Limited and Deuxvill Limited.
She was said to have told Adprints Network that the offer had closed as at July 8, 2012, a claim the prosecutor said was not true.
The defendants pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in the sum of N50million each with sureties in the same amount.
Justice Ibrahim Buba adjourned until May 12 for trial.
-
EFCC recovers another cash haul of N250m
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday intercepted huge sums of money in various currencies totalling N250 million at the popular Balogun market in Lagos.
This came barely three days after the commission recovered N449 million at an abandoned bureau de change in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Spokesman of the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed Monday’s incident in a statement, said the discovery followed a tip-off from a whistle blower.
The intercepted monies, according to him, include 547,730 Euros, 21,090 Pounds and N5,648,500 .
He said the total haul was about N250 million at the prevailing exchange rate at the parallel market.
“The interception followed information that about N250 million cash was being moved somewhere in the market for conversion into foreign currencies by unnamed persons.
“Operatives responded timely, met the money in Bureau de Change (BDC) office, but a large chunk of it had been converted into Euro and Pounds sterling.
“The BDC operators found in possession of the monies claimed they were acting on behalf of their boss who sent the money to them from one of the Northern states in Nigeria,” Uwujaren said.
He said two persons apprehended in the course of the raid were assisting the comission in its investigation.
-
EFCC: Court upholds competence of witness on Kalu’s trial
A Federal High Court on Monday in Lagos upheld the competence of a witness, Christiana Ohiri, in the ongoing trial of a former Governor of Abia, Orji Uzor kalu, charged with money laundering.
On Oct. 31, 2016, the EFCC preferred a 34-count charge bordering on N3.2 billion fraud against Kalu and a former Commissioner for Finance during Kalu’s administration, Ude Udeogo.
Also charged is a company, Slok Nig. Ltd.
The accused had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the hearing last month, the defence team had raised objection to the competence of Ohiri, a manager of a branch of the UBA at Umuahia.
Ohiri is described as second prosecution witness.
Ruling on the objection, Justice Mohammed Idris held that the witness was competent to testify in the trial.
Idris held that the witness could give evidence in the case, since the provisions of the Evidence Act had been complied with by the EFCC.
The court declared that the signatory to the proof of evidence was not in doubt, adding that there was substantial compliance with the provision of the rules.
The judge held that “the proof of evidence before this honourable court is competent”.In continuation of her evidence before the court, the witness said that no payment was made to the former governor from the government house account.
Under cross-examination by Kalu’s lawyer, Chief Gordy Uche (SAN), over a document containing information about 36 bank drafts, the witness said that no draft was either paid by Kalu or issued in his name.
Responding to a question from the silk, the witness said: “the first defendant (Kalu) did not personally come to me to purchase any draft and his name was not included on any of the drafts.
“His name or photograph also does not feature in the mandate cards of the signatories to the Government House Account.’’
The witness had earlier informed court that between September and October, 2006, the UBA head office had contacted her branch, requesting for some documents about some transactions that were done earlier in the year.
She said that some of the transactions were listed while others were retrieved from the bank’s archives and sent to Lagos.
Ohiri said that she did not know what the head office wanted to do with the documents.
She said that by 2007, she was invited by the EFCC, which asked her some questions about the documents her bank sent to the commission.
“I was invited to the EFCC four times in 2007 and I made three statements at the commission’s office,” she stated.
When Uche suggested to the witness that her statements were contradictory and inconsistent, she replied, “I disagree’’.
Further proceedings has been adjourned until April 11.
In the charge, the accused were alleged to have committed the offences between August, 2001 and October, 2005.
Kalu was alleged to have used his company to retain N200 million in an account in First Inland Bank, now FCMB.
The money is alleged to be part of funds illegally derived from the coffers of the Abia State Government.
In one of the counts, Kalu’s company, Slok Nig. Ltd. and one Emeka Abone, said to be at large, were also alleged to have retained in the company’s account the sum of N200 million on behalf of the first accused.
They were alleged to have used Manny Bank (now Fidelity Bank Plc), Spring Bank Plc, the defunct Standard Trust Bank and Fin Land Bank, now FCMB.
In counts one to 10, the accused were alleged to have retained about N2.5 billion in different accounts, whose funds were said to belong to the Abia government.
Cumulatively, the accused were alleged to have diverted over N3.2 billion from the Abia government’s treasury during Kalu’s tenure as governor.
The offence is said to have contravened the provisions of Sections 15(6), 16 and 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2005.
It is also said to have contravened the provisions of the Money Laundering Act of 1995 as amended by the amendment Act No.9 of 2002 and Section 477 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation, 1990.
-
ICPC, EFCC can’t fight corruption war alone – Nta
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ekpo Nta, at the weekend said his commission and other anti- graft agencies in the country cannot curb the menace of corruption in the country alone.
He solicited the support of members of the public in fighting corruption that had eaten deep into the fabric of the society.
Nta stressed that the Federal Government would only succeed in its war against corruption if the masses support it.
The ICPC chairman spoke at the convocation ceremony of Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State.
He commended the whistle blowing idea introduced by the federal government, stressing that the policy has yielded great results.
According to him, the commission now receives several petitions on corrupt practices on daily basis from different quarters.
Nta, who delivered the university convocation lecture titled – “Ethical Deficit, Corruption and Crisis of National Identity: Integrity of Termites,” said the anti-graft agencies need the support of ordinary Nigerians to fight corruption in the country.
He reiterated that “the whistle-blowing system has tremendously increased the number of petitions received by the commission unlike before when people were not encouraged to give out information to the commission.”