The Nation Newspaper

Tag: EFCC

  • Court refuses to stop ex-PDP Secretary’s arrest

    Court refuses to stop ex-PDP Secretary’s arrest

    Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday rejected prayer by the immediate past National  Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof. Wale Oladipo stop his planned arrest over alleged  involvement in the unlawful disbursement of public funds.

    Justice Tsoho in his ruling threw out Oladipo’s fundamental rights enforcement suit on the ground that he failed substantially to substantiate his claim of threats  to infringe on his rights by the respondents.

    The judge said the reliefs sought by Oladipo in the suit are not “grantable.”

    Listed as respondents are the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Department of State Services (DSS).

    Oladipo, in his supporting affidavit filed with the suit in February this year, alleged intimidation, harassment, persecution or threat by the respondents.

    In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/89/2016, he expressed strong fears the alleged threats was based supposedly on his political leaning.

    To substantiate his claim, Oladipo referred to a text message he received on his telephone on February 1 supposedly from an operative of the EFCC, Adebayo Olatunji, inviting him for investigation by the commission Asset Tracing Unit.

    .

     

  • NNPC withholds another $12.9b in eight years – NEITI

    NNPC withholds another $12.9b in eight years – NEITI

    The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Mr. Waziri Adio, on Friday said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) has withheld another $12.9billion revenue.

    He said the revenue came from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas between 2005 and 2013.

    He said some infractions have been committed which require the prosecution of the masterminds by anti-graft agencies.

    But the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, said the agency will bite if NEITI wants it to do so.

    According to a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the NEITI Executive Secretary spoke on the stench in the oil sector when he visited the EFCC chairman.

    He said NEITI might report serious infractions to the EFCC.

    He said: “The 2013 Oil and Gas Audit Report revealed that some government agencies like NNPC and its subsidiaries withheld $3.8billion and N358billion.

    “Another revelation is that $12.9 billion was withheld by NNPC from NLNG between 2005 and 2013.”

    He expressed the readiness of his agency to collaborate with the EFCC in tackling corruption by reporting serious infractions that violate the country’s constitution.

    “We have an Act that criminalise certain behaviours. If people do not cooperate with us, if people do not give us information on time, they are liable to be prosecuted, fined and jailed.

    “But, we have existed for 12 to 13 years and nobody has ever been tried under our Act and that is not to say some infractions would not have occurred.”

    He said a major challenge confronting NEITI is the lack of power to prosecute.

    He said NEITI only carries out audit.

    “There are a lot of findings that have come up over time about monies missing, about collusion between operators and government agencies, about possibility of money laundering, about all kinds of economic crimes that we are not in a position to push forward,” Adio said.

    He said deepening relationship with EFCC would help send signals to all the agencies and companies that relate with NEITI to cooperate with it.

    Responding, Magu, assured the delegation that the commission was prepared to give a quick response in areas of need and to improve on the existing relationship between the two agencies.

    “Where you want us to use our teeth to bite, we would readily do so,” Magu added.

  • EFCC constitutes task force on NEITI report

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday  set up a joint task force on the recently released audit reports of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

    Membership of the task force is drawn from NEITI and the EFCC.

    The task force is to study the reports and identify areas where financial crimes have been committed against the nation.

    According to a statement issued by NEITI’s Director of Communications, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, the Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, made the decision in Abuja after receiving copies of the reports from the NEITI Executive Secretary, Waziri Adio.

    The statement noted that Magu said  it is no longer acceptable for NEITI to publish reports and agencies, companies and individuals that had clearly committed financial crimes as disclosed by the reports are left to go without sanctions.

    “I have heard people say that NEITI has no teeth to bite, but today I assure you that by our renewed joint collaboration, the EFCC will provide NEITI with the required teeth to bite.”

    The EFCC chairman advised members of the task force to carry out the assignments with utmost diligence by developing an action plan and make recommendations for immediate action by the commission.

    Presenting the report, the NEITI Executive Secretary lamented that while NEITI has been churning out series of reports since 2004, it is regrettable that no one has either been tried or convicted for infractions on the NEITI Act.

    He called on the EFCC to step in and help NEITI enforce required sanctions.

     

  • EFCC to arraign Fani-Kayode, Usman Tuesday

    EFCC to arraign Fani-Kayode, Usman Tuesday

    … Why my husband is still in detention – Ex-minister’s wife

    The arraignment of former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and his Finance counterpart, Senator Nenadi Usman, has been fixed for Tuesday before Justice Sule Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    A prosecution counsel at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed the date on Thursday.

    The commission charged them along with Danjuman Yusuf and a company, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited.

    Ahead of his arraignment, Fani-Kayode has filed a bail application through his lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN).

    In an affidavit in support of the motion for bail, Fani-Kayode’s wife, Precious said her husband told EFCC all he knew about the funding of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign, and that, as the Director of Publicity, no money was paid into his account.

    She said: “All the monies paid into his account were from private entities and they were judiciously used to prosecute the PDP 2015 presidential campaign.

    “‎He was granted administrative bail with onerous conditions. The said bail conditions were met on Thursday, the 12th day of May, 2016, yet the complainant/respondent (EFCC) has refused to release the defendant/applicant till date.”

    Mrs. Fani-Kayode  said the commission’s operatives interrogated him three times about the campaign money, adding that no new issue and or petition was raised or written against him.

    “I was there during one of the interrogation sessions, and what the operatives were asking the defendant/applicant was to refund the campaign funds and nothing more.

    “The instant charges against him were merely brought to justify his unconstitutional detention by the complainant/respondent,” Mrs Fani-Kayode said.

    According to her, EFCC was only keeping him so as “to ask him to refund the campaign funds expended for the PDP 2015 Presidential Campaign in respect of which he was the Director of Publicity.”

    Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Nenadi Esther Usman, Femi Fani-Kayode, Danjuman Yusuf And Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited on or about the 8th day of January, 2015, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves to indirectly retain the sum of N1,500, 000,000.00 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: stealing.”

    The alleged offence is contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) and (4).

    The four were also accused of indirectly retaining N300million, N400million and N800million, all proceeds of corruption, according to EFCC.

    The 17-count charge borders on conspiracy, unlawful retention of proceeds of theft and corruption and money laundering.

    According to Raji, under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) of 2015, bail is more relaxed as the offence he was charged with is a bailable one.

     

  • OAU workers petition EFCC to probe VC

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria University (SSANU), and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), chapters have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of corruption against the outgoing Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Bamitale Omole.

    Omole was accused of “extra-budgetary expenses, unlawful appointments, misappropriation of funds, and corruption” in a petition signed by Comrades Ademola Oketunde and Wole Odewumi, Chairmen of SSANU and NASU.

    Omole was accused of “awarding of NUGA games contract meant for construction of tracks at a reverse bid of N149 million from the N191 million, which made the Chairman of the bidding Committee resign.

    “Misappropriation of over N5 billion Needs Assessment funds without the approval of the University Budgetary Monitoring Committee, running down the OAU Teaching and Research Farm, Fraudulent underpayment of all workers of the university by a sum equivalent to 7.5 per cent, allocation of  university land to an individual (Mrs Cynthia Amoru)” among others.

    The petitioners urged the EFCC to investigate the outgoing Vice-Chancellor without further delay.

    However, the Public Relation Officer of the university, Abiodun Olarewaju described the allegations as baseless, stressing that only the court of law can convict Omole of corruption.

    “Prof Omole is still innocent until the court proves otherwise. If they have enough evidence to show they can go ahead and invite anybody to instigate our VC. We shall be pleased with the outcome of the investigation of the anti-graft agencies.” he said

    Olarewaju described Prof Omole as an “incorruptible, upright and God fearing man, who operates the university with an open administration.”

  • EFCC arraigns woman for allegedly issuing  N50m dud cheques

    EFCC arraigns woman for allegedly issuing  N50m dud cheques

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, arraigned a woman, Mrs Joy Folake Yobah for allegedly issuing dud cheques valued at N50million to a business partner.

    Mrs Yobah, who is the Managing Director of Skyhigh Ventures Ltd, was arraigned before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Apo, Abuja on a 5-count charge, to which she pleaded not guilty.

    She was said to have entered into a project financing agreement as “the contractor “ with United Surgicals Ltd as “financier”.

    Justice Oriji adjourned to September 19 for the commencement of trial.

  • Badeh’s agent asked me to buy property in my firm’s name – Witness

    Badeh’s agent asked me to buy property in my firm’s name – Witness

    Mustapha Yerima, a prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, on Wednesday told the Federal High Court, Abuja, that a former Director of Finance and Account at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF),  Air Commodore Abdullahi Yushau (rtd), instructed him to buy Abuja property in his company’s name, Right Builders.

    Yerima, who spoke during cross examination, told the court that Yushau gave him N650 million to pay for the property located at Plot 1386, Wuse II, Abuja.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Badeh alongside a firm, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited on a 10-count charge of money laundering bordering on alleged fraudulent removal of about N3.97 billion from the NAF account.

    The EFCC accused Badeh of using the fund to buy and develop landed assets in Abuja for himself and two sons between January and December 2013.

    Yerima, a building contractor and Managing Director of Right Builders, told the court in evidence in chief that he bought the land on the instruction of PW1 (Yushau), adding that he signed all the documents on behalf of Rite builders until he would give him the real name of purchaser.

    The witness maintained that Yushau had told him that he was acting on behalf of his boss, then Chief of Air Staff, Badeh.

  • How Adegboruwa disbursed N61m rent – EFCC

    How Adegboruwa disbursed N61m rent – EFCC

    The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday heard how a lawyer-turned activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, allegedly disbursed N61 million paid as rent on a forfeited property.

    The second prosecution witness, a compliance officer at Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Teslim Adekunle, tendered Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa & Co’s bank account statement.

    He said N61, 631,944.65 was credited to the account by Transocean Support Vendor S/A on August 13, 2013.

    Before then, there was a credit balance of N1.4 million in the account, he said.

    Adekunle said from the account, N3 million was transferred to Apex Properties Company Limited, N2.2 million to Adegboruwa, N12,150,000 to Mr. Jonathan Udeagbala  (owner of the house) and N35 million to Victory Electronics Limited (the complainant Mr. Leonard Okafor’s company).

    An attempt by the witness to give evidence on the transfer of N1 million to an unnamed pastor was resisted by Adegboruwa’s lawyer, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), who objected on the ground that his client’s personal life was not in review before the court.

    He said: “All this evidence of cash disbursement is not relevant to the charge. The charge is that he sold a forfeited property. The section of EFCC Act under which he was charged has nothing to do with cash disbursement. Precious judicial time is being wasted through this line of evidence.”

    Justice Oluremi Oguntoyibo then asked the prosecution counsel to restrict himself to questions relating to the charge.

    Under cross-examination, the witness said he did not know the purpose for which the money was transferred to Adegboruwa’s account.

    EFCC arraigned Adegboruwa and Jonathan Udeagbala, said to be at large, on May 12 for allegedly conspiring on August 13, 2013 to lease the property at House 105, NICON Town Estate, Lekki.

    The commission said the property was a “subject of interim orders of attachment made by Justice Christopher Balogun of the Lagos State High Court” on June 18, 2012.

    Adegboruwa allegedly leased the property to Shelf Drilling Nigeria Limited for N61, 631,944.65, which was credited to his Zenith Bank account, with number 1010240758.

    The lawyer pleaded not guilty to the charge and claimed he was being persecuted due to his activism.

    Justice Oguntoyibo adjourned to September 23, 28 and 29 for continuation of trial.

  • Money laundering: Jonathan’s ex-aide remanded in prison

    The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered that the former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, be remanded in prison.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned him before Justice Mohammed Idris on 23-count charge of conspiracy and concealment of crime proceeds.

    Dudafa and Iwejuo Joseph Nna (alias Taiwo A. Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah) were accused of conspiring to conceal proceeds of crime amounting to over N1.6 billion on June 11, 2013.

    They pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

    Defence counsel, Gboyega Oyewole and Sunday Abumeri, said they filed bail applications on their clients’ behalf.

    The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, said he needed more time to respond to the applications.

    The defendants allegedly concealed the sum through a company, Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited, an  offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable  under Section 17(a).

    They were also accused of knowingly concealing proceeds of crime through Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited in the sum of N 399, 470,000.00, among others.

  • EFCC raids Obanikoro’s homes as agency invites Sheriff

    EFCC raids Obanikoro’s homes as agency invites Sheriff

    •Operatives allegedly cart away cars, others

    Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday stormed the Lagos homes of former Minister Musiliu Obanikoro and carted away cars and other valuables.

    The two homes raided were the former minister’s private residence at Park View Estate as well as the house near Banana Island, where his two sons – Jide and Gbolahan – live with the families.

    It was learnt that the officials, who allegedly stormed the two houses in the afternoon, were said to have been there till about 6pm.

    According to Obanikoro’s media aide, Jonathan Eze, the EFFC officials took vehicles, wristwatches and other effects of the former minister and his sons, who are all in the United States (U.S.).

    Eze claimed that they harassed innocent kids and intimidated the occupants of the properties, adding that the commission has never invited Obanikoro for questioning.

    The spokesman said: “Officials of the EFCC,on Tuesday, in their characteristic Gestapo like manner, invaded Senator Obanikoro’s houses in Ikoyi with unnecessary intimidation and harassment of occupants, who are majorly innocent kids, teenagers, his wife and daughter in-laws, not without carting away cars, wristwatches and other valuables.

    “This is against the backdrop of the fact that the anti-graft agency has never invited him nor his sons for questioning beyond the tirades and allegations they have been propagating, using the media spaces.

    “We are using this medium to draw attention of all Nigerians to yet another infringement on the fundamental and inalienable rights of the Obanikoro family.”

    He added: “To our chagrin, the vehicles driven away were cars and trucks bought since 2006 and thereabouts when Senator Obanikoro served as an Ambassador in Ghana among others, which obviously has no bearing with the purported investigation they are supposedly carrying out.

    “We condemn in strong terms the brigandage and the idea of inflicting trauma on innocent dependants and violating their privacies without recourse to the rule of law.

    “Senator Obanikoro has consulted with his lawyers and are prepared to meet them in court to stop this intrusions and persecution,”  Eze stated.

    Confirming the raid, EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwajeren said it was in line with ongoing investigations.

    “I can tell you that no one was harassed in the course of the search and that it is part of ongoing investigation on the man. Our operatives, who went there, conducted their affairs in best practices and took some vehicles away. I cannot immediately give inventory on the things that were carted away, but that will be made known in due time.

    “I do not think we need any permission from the man to do our job. Full details will be disclosed when we get there,” he said.