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Tag: EFCC

  • EFCC launches manhunt for owner of impounded N448.85m

    EFCC launches manhunt for owner of impounded N448.85m

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is now on the trail of the  owner of  the N448.85 million found  in a shopping plaza on Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday night.

    Spokesman for the commission in Lagos, Mr. Sam Amadin, said yesterday that the suspect would be found in due course.

    “The shopping plaza, from preliminary investigation, was built by estate developers. From the developers, we will get the owner of the money,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted him as saying.

    “The people around the complex know the owner of the money. The place has not been in use for a long time, the owner only sneaks into the place and keep the money. We will find the owner very soon.”

    Operatives of the commission, acting on a tip-off by a concerned whistleblower, swooped on LEGICO Shopping Plaza, seeking the identity of the owners of two shops, LS 64 and LS 67, which were under lock and key.

  • Buhari should stick with Magu as EFCC chief – The Nation poll

    Respondents in The Nation online poll have asked the Senate to confirm Mr. Ibrahim Magu as substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for his confirmation as anti-corruption arrowhead.

    The Senate had twice rejected Magu’s nomination, citing the Department of State Service (DSS) report which indicted the anti-graft czar for “integrity flaws.”

    The upper legislative chamber claimed Magu lacks integrity to lead the EFCC.

    However, Nigerians have urged President Buhari to stick with Magu in order not to jeopardize the administration’s anti-corruption crusade.

    In all, 3, 262 readers responded to the poll question – “Should President Buhari replace acting chairman of EFCC Ibrahim Magu as demanded by Senate” – posted on our website – www.staging.thenationonlineng.net

    The readers were required to pick from three options – (a) Yes, (b) No and, (c) I don’t know.

    While 824 readers or 25 per cent of the total respondents voted “Yes” indicating that the President should dump the Borno-born administrator, 2, 366 or 73 per cent asked President Buhari to ignore the senators and stick with Magu.

    The remaining 72 readers or two per cent of the total respondents picked “I don’t know.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • EFCC uncovers N448m in a Lagos shop

    EFCC uncovers N448m in a Lagos shop

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC ) yesterday evening uncovered  about N448,850,000 in a shopping plaza in Lagos.

    It said the money was stashed in several Ghana-Must-Go bags were in N500 and N1000 denominations, hidden in a shop awaiting conversion into foreign currency.

    But there was likelihood that the cash could be more as officials of the agency were still counting the money stuffed in bags.

    A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the anti-graft agency suspected that the huge cash was laundered.

    It said the money was discovered  in a shop at LEGICO Shopping Plaza, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The statement said: “Acting on a tip-off by a concerned whistle blower, operatives of the commission swooped on the shopping complex and sought the identity of the owners of two shops, LS 64 and LS 67 which were under lock and key.

    “The shops had signages of Bureau de Change. Inquiries about the owner of shop 64 indicated that he had not been seen for a long time, as they claimed the shop had not been opened for businesses for close to two years.

    “Several calls were put to the owner of shop 67, but there was no response.

    “The attention of the plaza’s chairman and some traders were drawn in order to force the shops open. There was no money found in shop 67, but in shop 64, heaps of Ghana-Must-Go bags were found loaded on the floor of the shop.

    “When the bags were unzipped, they were found to contain bundles of naira notes totaling N448,850,000.

    “Traders interviewed at the premises claimed they were not aware that such money was housed inside the shop, as the place hardly opens for business.

    “The commission is investigating the matter in order to unravel the owner and source of the money.”

    Meanwhile, the commission  yesterday  arraigned one Suzan Vega Ochuko before Justice P.I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court sitting in Benin, Edo State on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining 132,000 Euros by false pretence.

    The defendant and one Tony Uyimwen aka Alex Ethan (now at large) allegedly operating with a pseudo name Alex Ethan contacted one Mrs. Beatrice AUF DER MAUR from St. Gallen, Switzerland via Facebook and defrauded her of One Hundred and Thirty-Two Thousand Euro.

    A separate statement by Mr. Uwujaren said the victim ( Mrs Auf Der Maur ) was allegedly hoodwinked into a love relationship with the defendant who subsequently defrauded her of the said amount under the pretence of executing a non existing contract.

    The statement said: “The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    “One of the Counts reads:  that you Suzan Vega Ochuko ‘F’ and Tony Uyimwen ‘M’ (a.k.a) Alex Ethan (now at large) on or about the 11th of March, 2016 at Benin, Edo State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud when you made a false representation that you are Alex Ethan to one Mrs. Beatrice AUF DER MAUR and obtained the sum of 65, 000.00 (Euro), account number: 2024290579 of one Collins Peter which pretext you knew was false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the said Act.

    “Another count reads:  that you Suzan Vega Ochuko ‘F’ and Tony Uyimwen ‘M’ (a.k.a) Alex Ethan (now at large) on or about the 18th of March, 2016 at Benin, Edo State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of 67, 000.00 (Euro) under false pretence from one Mrs. Beatrice AUF DER MAUR account number: 2022547286 which pretext you knew was false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the said Act.

    “In view of her plea, the prosecution counsel M.T. Iko asked the court to fix a date for commencement of trial.

    “The defence counsel, Ekhator Ogiegbaen told the court  that he had filed an bail application for his client. He pleaded with the court to grant his client bail as she will not jump bail and that the defendant was a nursing mother.

    “Though the prosecution counsel opposed the bail, Justice Ajoku granted the defendant bail in the sum of One Million Naira with two sureties in like sum.

    “The sureties must be civil servant not below grade level 12 or two sureties with landed property within the jurisdiction of the court..

    “The sureties must deposit original title of their document with the court while the civil servant must produce an official letter from his superior from his office. The documents are to be verified by the prosecution.

    “The matter was adjourned to the 14th of June, 2017 for trial while the defendant is to be remanded in prison custody pending the perfection of her bail.”

  • Court to decide Jonathan’s ex-aide’s fate May 8

    The Federal High Court in Lagos will on May 8 rule on whether statements made by a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Gooluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, while in detention were voluntary.

    Justice Mohammed Idris fixed the date after parties adopted their written addresses in a trial-within-trial.

    Dudafa had claimed that he was “tormented” by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a bid to get him to implicate the former president.

    The former presidential aide said all the statements he wrote were dictated to him, and that he was induced to sign in exchange for his freedom.

    Dudafa also said he was denied access to his relatives, adding that he was not given food for some period.

    He said EFCC doctored the video recording of his statement by blotting out the part where he protested the fact that he was being induced to make a statement.

    Adopting his written address on Thursday, Dudafa’s lawyer, Gbenga Oyewole, said “we urge your lordship to reject the statement of the first defendant as it was not made voluntarily.

    “On the video, the relevant part where the witnessed protested the voluntariness of the statement was expunged.

    “From the preponderance of evidence, we urge the court to reject the statement as having been made involuntarily.”

     

     

  • Court unfreezes one of Patience Jonathan’s accounts

    Court unfreezes one of Patience Jonathan’s accounts

    The Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday de-freezed a bank account belonging to wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, with over $5,842,316.66 (about N1.7billion) lodged in it.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun-Ishola froze the account last year along with that of five companies and one Esther Oba.

    The companies’ accounts were said to have balances amounting to N7.4billion; Oba’s was said to have $429,381.87 (about N131, 712,634.09).

    Justice Olatoregun-Ishola defreezed the account based on an application filed and argued by Mrs. Jonathan’s lawyer, Mr. Adedayo Adedipe (SAN).

    The lawyer urged the court to defreeze the account on the ground that his client was not a party to the suit.

    Citing judicial authorities, Adedipe contended that the suit was an abuse of court process, as the court had no jurisdiction to make an order against a person that was not a party to a suit before it.

    EFCC, it was learnt, did not file any response to the application to discharge the order.

    Ruling, Justice Olatoregun-Ishola upheld Adedipe’s submission and discharged the order freezing the account.

    She made an order directing EFCC and Skye Bank Plc to immediately defreeze the account because all the claims in the plaintiff’s affidavit were not challenged or controverted.

    The judge said although EFCC was served with the application to defreeze the account, it filed no response to counter it.

    She said, “It is trite in law that an order cannot be made against any person who is not a party before the court. It was not controverted that Dame Patience Jonathan is not a party in the order obtained in this court.

    “I hereby make an order unfreezing the Skye Bank account belonging to Dame patience Jonathan forthwith.”

     

  • Falana did not appoint Magu’s Chief of Staff – EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday said human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana(SAN), did not appoint Chief of Staff for its Acting Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

    It also said it has never handed over any property of a former Governor of Bayelsa State, the late Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, to Falana.

    The clarifications were made in a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren.

    The statement said: “Our attention has been drawn to a malicious and misleading report trending on the social media platforms that Ola Olukoyede, Chief of Staff, (CoS) to Ibrahim Magu, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was a staff “seconded” to the Commission from the Chambers of Femi Falana (SAN).

    “The report further alleged that Falana is a beneficiary of some of the properties recovered by the Commission from the late Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, former Governor of Bayelsa State, hence the secondment of Olukoyede to the EFCC.

    “The allegations are not only unfounded but evil, as all the properties recovered from the former governor have been returned to Bayelsa State government.

    “For the record, Olukoyede was not seconded to the EFCC by Falana and he has never worked in Femi Falana’s Chambers. He was head hunted based on his pedigree.

    “Even if he had worked for Falana it may not have mattered as working for Falana is not a criminal offence in the nation’s statute.

    “It is also important to state that Falana is not a counsel to the EFCC and has never interfered in the operations of the agency.

    “The author of the mischievous and misleading information went ahead to give the telephone number of the CoS and asked members of the public to call and enquire if he was indeed a former staff of Femi Falana’s Chambers.

    “He has therefore been bombarded with unsolicited calls by members of the public.

    “Whoever is behind this criminal act should desist forthwith as any attempt to further malign the reputation of Olukoyede and the EFCC would not go unchallenged.”

     

  • N15b debt: Prosecute airlines – Aviation union tells EFCC

    N15b debt: Prosecute airlines – Aviation union tells EFCC

    Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) on Thursday called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and prosecute all debtor airline operators in the country for the  N15 billion debt profile of the ticket and cargo sales Charge (TSC and CSC).

    Speaking to aviation reporters in Lagos, the secretary general of ANAP Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu described the airline’s action as an economic offence that left unchecked has grown into an entitlement for the perpetrators which is killing the industry.

    Saidu called on the EFCC to wade into the matter, investigate arrest those responsible for this historical debt which was amassed when there was little or no accountability from government.

    Reacting to the events of the past few days, General secretary of ANAP, Comrade  Saidu described what was happening as stealing by a trick of public funds as the monies the Airline Operators were unwilling to let go off did not belong to them but the government.

    “This money they are owing it is stealing by trick of public funds, air travellers pay that 5%, that money has never been a tax to any airline as some of them will erroneously lead people to believe. The money is a charge on passengers the airlines only collect it on behalf of government to allow facilitation, imagine the chaos at the airport where people are travelling if that money is collected as you intend to travel and the fraud that would happen.”

    “These payments’ were being made until Arik entered the fray and due to the impunity of the former managers the indebtedness started and so other airlines joined suit stating that if Arik was not remitting the charges why should they? Even at those times, some unions would take action and then an order from Abuja would override whatever they have done and the debt would continue to rise.”

    “In the past Minister, Fidelia Njeze intervened with the pay as you go technic but same airline scuttled it.”

    According to saidu ANAP is ready to go the extra mile to help the agencies and service providers recover their debt through every legal means as according to him, the N15billion was a de; librately orchestrated debt.

    “We are calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) because this is their purview. They need to wade in as this anomaly is killing the industry.

    “We disagree with the airlines who are trying to justify their criminal acts and impunity, spending public funds and we are calling the EFCC to come in because the money they are talking about never belonged to them in the first place. The money is for aviation development and so when unremitted how do they have justification to complain about regulation? Or training at NCAT? Or the pace of investigations at AIB? Or even infrastructure for that matter?”

    ANAP is supporting the Federal Government through the NCAA and is demanding immediate remittance of those funds.

    On the unions objective and why it was interested in these matters, Comrade Saidu stated: “ These are the kinds of things the unions should be agitating over mostly to get enough of the agencies funds so as to ensure salaries of staff and others are met.”

    “Besides apart from that, everyone says aviation is global business and we tout that here every time but globalization must come in all ramifications because as you know here there is no globalization in remuneration and ANAP aims at improving the working conditions in the industry that is why we came to being as a union.”

    He also stated that the union aims to engage government through constructive criticisms to ensure that government takes the right path on the journey to grow the industry.

  • EFCC arraigns Alison-Madueke, INEC officials

    EFCC arraigns Alison-Madueke, INEC officials

    •Suspect pleads guilty to receiving N30m

    The Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) yesterday arraigned three Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials for allegedly receiving bribes from former Petroleum Minister Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke to compromise results of the 2015 general election.

    Christian Nwosu, Yisa Adedoyin and Tijani Bashir were arraigned before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    They allegedly collected N264.88 million on March 27, 2015 from the minister ahead of the election.

    Nwosu pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted for receiving N30 million bribe.

    Mrs. Alison-Madueke was named in the charge.

    Prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo said Nwosu opted for a plea bargain.

    The EFCC lawyer said Nwosu refunded N5 million and surrendered the  title document of a landed property he bought for N25 million in Delta State.

    According to him, EFCC acted on an intelligence report that Mrs. Alison-Madueke stashed $115 million in a bank, with an oral instruction that the money should be converted to naira.

    The former minister was said to have directed that part of the money should be given to certain INEC officials.

    Oyedepo said N30 million was traced to Nwosu, who hid it in a Hilux van in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, following which the suspect was invited to the EFCC, where he confessed.

    He tendered Nwosu’s confessional statement and a document with which Nwosu acknowledged receipt of the N30 million.

    Oyedepo urged the judge to convict Nwosu as charged in view of his plea and the evidence adduced.

    Justice Idris held: “In line with the plea of the defendant coupled with the facts and the exhibits tendered by the prosecutor, the defendant is hereby convicted as charged.”

    Nwosu’s lawyer Mrs. Adaku Mbama urged the judge to temper justice with mercy.

    The other defendants, however, pleaded not guilty.

    EFCC alleged that Nwosu, Adedoyin and Bashir conspired with Mrs. Alison-Madueke to take possession of N264.88 million.

    The commission said they “ought to have reasonably known (that the money) formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: gratification.”

    They were also accused of making cash payment of N234.88 million on March 27, 2015 without going through any financial institution.

    Adedoyin was said to have received N70.05 million from Bashir on March 27, 2015; Bashir took possession of N64.88 million, while Nwosu received and used N30 million the same day, EFCC alleged.

    Adedoyin and Bashir were granted bail at N50 million each and two sureties.

    Justice Idris directed the defendants to deposit their international passports with the court’s registrar.

    “They are to be remanded in prison until they meet their bail terms,” the judge added.

    Justice Idris adjourned till tomorrow when he will sentence Nwosu.

  • ‘N5.6b fraud’: EFCC detains ex-Niger Governor Aliyu

    ‘N5.6b fraud’: EFCC detains ex-Niger Governor Aliyu

    Former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu is being detained for alleged abuse of office and money laundering.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invited the former governor on Tuesday to reply to the allegations against him.

    Aliyu is said to be responding to issues isolated for him by a “crack team of investigators”.

    He has been grilled for more than 10 hours by detectives.

    The ongoing probe of the ex-governor has nothing to do with the petition to the EFCC by the Niger State Government on a N2.9 billion loan obtained in the twilight of his tenure.

    A source in the anti-graft commission said: “Specifically, the Chief Servant, as he was called in his days as governor, is alleged to have diverted N2 billion Ecological Funds for political purposes.

    “He is also alleged to have fraudulently sold the state’s stake in North South Power, the holding company for Kainji Dam. About 16 per cent of the state’s 26 per cent shares in the company was sold for N3.6 billion.

    “Of this, N1.090 billion was paid to the Government House and used for the 2015 elections, where Aliyu’s protégé, Nasko, ran unsuccessfully as governor.”

    The source gave the details of the EFCC’s investigation into the alleged mismanagement of the state’s Ecological Funds by the ex-governor.

    The source added: “Three companies were said to have benefited from the heist through contract awards. Among them  a company that is owned by a former government official, which allegedly got a contract for which it was paid N847 million.

    “Of this sum N800m was allegedly given to a former chief of staff who allegedly handed the money to the former governor.”

    A company  owned by a friend to Ibrahim Nasko, younger brother to a former Chief of Staff, Umar Nasko got N487m for a contract.

    “The money was paid to various Bureau de Change,  converted into dollars and handed to the former Chief of Staff( Nasko) who also delivered the money to Babangida Aliyu,” the official said, pleading not to be named because he is not allowed to talk to the press.

    “Secta Plus however executed the contract it received from the    Niger State Government.

    ”He is detained as there are several issues yet to be covered even though he has made useful statement.”

    As at press time, it was gathered that the ex-governor had an outstanding  case based on a petition by the state government on a last-minute N2.9billon loan obtained by his administration.

    The state government had said: “The attention of the Niger State Government has been drawn to the continued denial, in the media, by the officials of the past administration that they obtained a loan of N2.9 billion on the eve of their departure.

    “The government will allow the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to do its job, as the case was already before it. It is  important to ask some significant questions on the activities of the past administration.

    ”For instance, the government in the statement wondered why would the then Secretary to the State Government (SSG) denied collecting N600 million only to later admit that he collected the sum of N612 million for ‘general’ security during the last senatorial bye-election in the state.

    ”Was the money actually budgeted for, and was it used for the purpose intended? Why were the said funds given to the SSG; was he the Chief Security officer or INEC?”

    ”It is obvious that these government officials have chosen the hard way rather than the easy one, and the hard way they will get,” the government assured.

    Also in August 2015, the  House of Assembly passed a motion directing Governor Abubakar Bello to probe the administration of  Babangida Aliyu.

    The Assembly’s  motion was moved by the member representing Bida II Constituency, Mohammed Haruna.

    The motion listed 22 activities of the past administration that should be investigated.

  • EFCC arraigns INEC officials over Diezani bribery

    EFCC arraigns INEC officials over Diezani bribery

    The Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned three Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials for allegedly receiving bribes from former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to compromise results of the 2015 general elections.

    Christian Nwosu, Yisa Adedoyin and Tijani Bashir were arraigned before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    They allegedly collected N264.88million bribe on March 27, 2015 from the minister ahead of the election.

    Nwosu pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted for the offence of receiving N30 million bribe.

    Mrs. Alison-Madueke, said to be at large, was named in the charge.

    Prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, said Nwosu opted for plea bargain.

    The EFCC lawyer said Nwosu refunded N5million and surrendered title document of a landed property he bought for N25million in Delta State.

    According to him, EFCC acted on an intelligence report that Mrs. Alison-Madueke stashed $115million in a bank, with an oral instruction that the money should be converted to naira.

    The former minister was said to have directed that part of the money should be given to certain INEC officials.

    Oyedepo said N30million was traced to Nwosu, who hid it in a Hilux van in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, following which the suspect was invited to the EFCC where he confessed to the crime.

    He tendered Nwosus confessional statement and a document with which the INEC official acknowledged receipt of the N30million.

    Oyedepo urged the judge to convict Nwosu as charged following his guilty plea and the evidence adduced.

    Justice Idris held: “In line with the plea of the defendant coupled with the facts and the exhibits tendered by the prosecutor, the defendant is hereby convicted as charged.”

    Nwosu’s lawyer, Mrs. Adaku Mbama, urged the judge to temper justice with mercy in sentencing her client.

    The other defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.