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Tag: EFCC

  • EFCC arraigns Oronsaye Monday over 1.9bn pension scam

    EFCC arraigns Oronsaye Monday over 1.9bn pension scam

    The  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday  filed charges against a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye, and three others before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    The four persons are likely to be arraigned on Monday in respect of the alleged N1.9billion biometric pension’s enrolment scam.

    But in preparation for the trial, Oronsaye was at the EFCC headquarters yesterday for what  source described as “the final leg of grilling.”

    Oronsaye was detained on Wednesday by the anti-graft agency in connection with the alleged scam.

    After the first round of interaction with the EFCC team, he was granted bail on Thursday before he was slammed with a fresh invitation .

    A  top official of the commission said charges had been filed against Oronsaye  and three other suspects at a Federal  High Court, Abuja.

    The source said : “We filed charges against Oronsaye and three others yesterday at a Federal High Court in order to pave the way for their arraignment.

    “The allegations against these people will be known to the public at the court. They will also have the opportunity to file counter-claims.

    “I think they might be on trial on Monday, depending on the disposition of the court.”

    The EFCC said Oronsaye  was also  interrogated on fresh allegations of monumental fraud and embezzlement of funds in the running of a Presidential Standing Committee on Financial Action Task Force which he chairs.

    “The committee is a policy advisory body to the president on the implementation of the AML/CFT .

    “Oronsaye allegedly used it as a conduit to siphon and launder money.

    “This fresh lead is triggered by allegations by some members of the committee who claim that Oronsaye operates an illegal account in a first generation bank in the committee’s name, without the knowledge of the committee members through which he has laundered hundreds of millions of Naira,”the source said.

    When contacted, the  Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said Oronsaye was “at the commission’s office yesterday.”

    But Oronsaye had always pleaded his innocence.

    In a previous interview with The Nation, the former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation  denied any relationship with a former Deputy Director of Pension in the Pension Unit of the OHCSF, Mrs. Phina Chidi, who is on trial.

    He said: “Mrs. Chidi alleged that she had been keeping N500million and $2 million traced to the accounts of Pam Investment Properties Limited in trust for me in the last  three years.

    “This is someone I do not have her number, not to talk of having anything to do with her. Why will someone keep  $2million for me for three years and I did not call her once  about the money.

    “I asked the EFCC to screen my call logs and that of Chidi  in the last three years whether I had spoken with her or not.

    “I have no companies that I am using as cronies to siphon pension funds. As the Head of Service of the Federation, I was not the Accounting Officer. A Permanent Secretary, who  was the Accounting Officer, was in charge of all contracts.

    “In fact, during my valediction, the Permanent Secretary stood up to declare that as the Head of Service, I did not  interfere with the award of contracts. Everybody was  shocked.

    “The only contract that came through my office was the  initial biometrics project of N35million which was handled  by Innovative Solutions. Even though the contract was within  my spending limit as the Head of Service, I notified the  Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

    “And the contract was not inflated. When they had cause to extend the scope of work by some weeks, we only paid them  extra working allowances.”

    Asked if he nominated one Osarenkhoe Afe, an IT consultant  and nominee of Oronsaye, as member of a “pension reform  committee,” Oronsaye denied.

     

  • Alleged N40b fraud: Court grants N1.4b bail to Nyako, son, 2 others

    Alleged N40b fraud: Court grants N1.4b bail to Nyako, son, 2 others

    An Abuja Federal High Court on Friday granted bail to former Adamawa Governor, Murtala Nyako, his son, Sen. Abdulazeez Nyako, and two others, charged with N40 billion fraud by EFCC.

    The accused were arraigned by the anti-graft agency on Wednesday and remanded in its custody, pending the hearing of their bail application filed by their counsel, Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN).

    The trial judge, Justice Evoh Chukwu, while delivering ruling after hearing arguments from defence counsel Agabi and EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacob (SAN), granted the four accused bail in the sum of N350 million each.

    Chukwu also ordered that each accused person must provide two sureties or alternatively, one surety who must be a director in any Federal Government establishment.

    He also held that each surety must own a landed property in Abuja and must provide evidence of ownership of the property, which must also be verified by the court bailiff.

    The judge also ordered that the sureties must swear to an affidavit of means, submit their two passport photographs and tax clearance certificates in the last three years to the court.

    Justice Chukwu further ordered that Nyako and co-accused must immediately surrender and deposit their international passports to the court’s Registrar.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Agabi urged the court to admit the accused to bail during Friday’s sitting, slated for the hearing and ruling on the bail application.

    Agabi conceded that the granting of bail to his clients was at the discretion of the court, noting that the accused persons were presumed innocent under the law until proven otherwise.

    He submitted that given the calibre of personalities of the accused and the team of 15 lawyers engaged by them to prove their innocence, they should be granted bail even on self-recognition.

    “My Lord, they have been on administrative bail from the EFCC; a former governor, former Chief of Naval Staff and his son, who is a serving Senator, have no hiding place,’’ Agabi argued.

    Responding, however, EFCC counsel who first objected the bail application, conceded to the fact that granting an accused bail was at the court’s discretion but urged the court to exercise it with caution.

    He contended that the weight of evidence against the accused was overwhelming and that the gravity of the charge was serious that they may be tempted to jump bail if granted.

    The prosecution counsel further argued that EFCC once declared the Nyakos wanted and they only returned to the country recently, and so were likely to run away again if granted bail.

    He said “they stole Adamawa State money running into billions of naira which they converted into private accounts and moved same to Abuja, where they used it to build private estates.’’

    Meanwhile, Justice Chukwu had adjourned the case until Sept. 30 for trial.

  • Alleged N6b pension scam: EFCC to quiz Oronsaye again today 

    Alleged N6b pension scam: EFCC to quiz Oronsaye again today 

    After initial bail reprieve, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday invited a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye, for another round of interrogation.

    Oronsaye was detained on Wednesday by the anti-graft agency in connection with alleged N6billion biometric pension’s enrollment scam.

    But after the first round of interaction with the EFCC team, he was granted bail in the early hours of Thursday.

    A top official of the commission said Oronsaye had been invited again for quizzing today.

    The source said: “Oronsaye is also being interrogated on fresh allegations of monumental fraud and embezzlement of funds in the running of a Presidential Standing Committee on Financial Action Task Force, which he chairs.

    “The committee is a policy advisory body to the president on the implementation of the AML/CFT .

    “Oronsaye was accused of using it as a conduit to siphon and launder money.

    “This fresh lead is triggered by allegations by some members of the Committee who claim that Oronsaye operates an illegal account in a first generation bank in the committee’s name, without the knowledge of the committee members through which he has laundered hundreds of millions of Naira.”

    “It was however learnt that Oronsaye maintained his innocence while his interrogation lasted between Wednesday and   Thursday.

    Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said Oronsaye was “still being questioned.

  • Judge reserves ruling on Sylva’s fresh charges

    Judge reserves ruling on Sylva’s fresh charges

    Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has reserved ruling on whether or not to try former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva and others based on a fresh 50-count charge brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The judge, after listening to parties’ arguments on the notices of preliminary objection raised by the accused persons, said they will be informed in August, during the court’s vacation, about the date fixed for ruling.

    Listed with Sylva in the charges are – Francis Okokuro, Gbenga Balogun, Samuel Ogbuku, Marlin Maritime Limited, Eat Catering Services Limited and Haloween-Blue Construction Logistics.

    Sylva and others are being accused in the fresh charges of using three companies – Marlin Maritime Limited, Eat Catering Services Limited, and Haloween-Blue Construction and Logistics Limited to move N19.2billion from Bayelsa State coffers between 2009 and 2012.

    They were said to have perpetrated the fraud under false pretence of using the withdrawn money to augment salaries of the state government workers.

    The EFCC had filed the fresh charges shortly after a judge of the same court, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, in a ruling on June 10, dismissed an earlier charge brought against Sylva and other by the anti-corruption agency.

    Justice Mohammed held that the EFCC abused court process when it sought to maintain two similar charges against the accused persons.

  • Ohakim granted bail

    Ohakim granted bail

    Former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, got a breather on Thursday as a Federal High Court, Abuja, accepted his bail application.

    Ohakim, who left office in 2011, was arraigned in court Wednesday on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering.

    The charge was filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    In his ruling, Justice Adeniyi Ademola ignored the objection by the prosecution and granted Ohakim bail with the sum of N270million and a surety in like sum.

    The judge, who ordered Ohakim to deposit his international passport with the court’s registrar, said the surety must be a resident of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with a landed property within the city.

    Justice Ademola observed that the essence of bail was to ensure the accused person attend court to stand trial.

    He also noted that since the prosecution has concluded investigation, the likelihood of the accused person interfering with prosecution’s witnesses and investigation was not real.

    Ohakim is being prosecuted  for allegedly making a cash payment to the tune of $2, 290,000.00 ( about N270,000,000.00), for the purchase of a property at Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as No.60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

    The EFCC argued that the amount is above the threshold approved for an individual going by the provisions of Section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004.

     

  • Lamido, sons remanded in Kano prison

    Lamido, sons remanded in Kano prison

    Former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido and his two sons who were arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Kano on Thursday have been remanded in prison.

    The trio were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a 28- count charge bordering on money laundering, abuse of public office and subtle bribery by various companies that were involved in the alleged  fraudulent deals, amounting to N1.351 billion.

    The ex-governor and his sons however denied all the charges filed against them and prayed the court to allow them file a bail application, the request that was turned down by the presiding judge, Justice Evelyn Anyadike, who remanded them in Kano prison pending when the motion for bail application would be heard.

    The counsel to the accused persons, Offiong Offiong(SAN), prayed the court to as a matter of liberty of the accused persons grant his prayer to file a bail application, while the prosecution led by Barr. Chile Okoroma objected to the request and argued that they were served with the motion at 5pm on Wednesday.

    He said the prosecutions ought to be given ample time to respond to the motion.

    Okoroma later applied for Lamido, his sons and Wada Abubakar to be remanded in prison.

    But the request did not go down well with Lamido’s counsel who pleaded that they should be remanded in EFCC custody.

     

     

  • Ohakim, Nyako, three others remanded in EFCC custody

    Ohakim, Nyako, three others remanded in EFCC custody

    Justices Adeniyi Ademola and Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday ordered that former governors Ikedi Ohakim (Imo) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and three others should be remanded in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) custody following their arraignment in court.

    While Ohakim was arraigned separately on a three-count charge before Justice Ademola, Nyako, his son, who is a serving Senator, Abdul-Aziz, and two of their aides – Abubakar Aliyu and Zulkifikk Abba were arraigned before Justice Chukwu on a 37-count charge.

    The charges against them border on corruption, abuse of office and money laundering.

    Ohakim, who was arrested by operatives of the EFCC on Tuesday, is being prosecuted  for allegedly making a cash payment to the tune of $2, 290,000.00 ( about N270,000,000.00) for the purchase of a property at Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as No.60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

    The EFCC believed the amount is above the threshold approved for an individual going by the provisions of Section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004.

    He was also accused of deliberately neglecting to disclose all his assets in the declaration submitted to the EFCC and the Code of Conduct Bureau.

    One of the counts reads:  “That you, Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the 26th of January, 2013 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, while under arrest for an offence under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004 knowingly failed to make a full disclosure of your assets by not declaring your ownership of the property known and described as Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District- it is also known as No.60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27(3)(c) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004 and punishable under the same section.”

    Ohakim pleaded not guilty to the charge, following which the prosecution lawyer, Festus Keyamo, sought a date for the commencement of trial.

    He also asked that Ohakim be remanded in prison custody pending the trial date.

     

  • Lamido, sons’ trial fails to hold in Kano

    Lamido, sons’ trial fails to hold in Kano

    The trial of former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido and his two sons slated for Federal High Court, Kano, failed to hold on Wednesday.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was expected to arraign the ex-governor and his sons before the court on Wednesday but the suspects were yet to arrive Kano from Abuja for the trial.

    The EFCC filed the case on Tuesday after the trio were arrested and they are still in commission’s custody at the time of filling this report.

    The Nation gathered that Lamido and two sons missed their flight from Abuja to Kano, while the EFCC lawyers who were sighted at the court premises left when it was obvious the trial will not take place.

    Meanwhile, the ex-governor and his sons will arrive Kano later on Wednesday, while the trial will take place on Thursday.

     

  • EFCC confirms Ohakim, Nyako’s arrest

    EFCC confirms Ohakim, Nyako’s arrest

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, confirmed the arrest and detention of two former governors, Ikedi Ohakim of Imo and his Adamawa counterpart, Murtala Nyako.

    Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, Spokesman of the EFCC confirmed the detention in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    Uwujaren, who said Nyako’s son Abdul-Aziz was also in the custody of the commission, added that the three suspects were arrested on Tuesday.

    He said the detention was ahead of likely arraignment before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

    NAN recalled that Ohakim was on June 18, arrested and interrogated by the EFCC over allegation of corruption during his tenure as the governor of Imo state.

    Nyako and his son were accused of criminal conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money laundering.

    The EFCC had also alleged massive looting by top officials in Nyako’s administration when he was governor of Adamawa.

    Abdulaziz was being detained over N15 billion fraud discovered in the accounts of five of his personal companies.

  • N1.3b: EFCC detains Lamido, sons

    N1.3b: EFCC detains Lamido, sons

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday detained a former Governor of Jigawa State, Alh. Sule Lamido and two sons ahead of their arraignment before a court in Kano today.

    The three detainees have also been flown to Kano in preparation for their trial in connection with an alleged N1.3billon worth of contracts.

    They are being charged on a 24-count  relating to alleged mismanagement of over N1.3billion.

    Also, the EFCC has arraigned a staff of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Abuja, Ali Gambo Abdullahi, before Justice C. N Orji of the FCT High Court, for an alleged N1.8 million bribery scam.

    The suspect faces a two-count on conspiracy, bribery and abuse of office.

    Investigation by our correspondent showed that Lamido and his two sons were detained after reporting for further investigation.

    But they were informed that they would be flown to Kano for trial on Wednesday.

    A source said: “The investigation of Lamido and his two sons has reached an appreciable level for their arraignment in a court in Kano.

    “We have been interrogating the former governor on alleged award of contracts to some companies owned by his children. The value of the contracts was in the region of about N1.3b.

    “We are also looking into allegation of money laundering against the ex-governor and some of his children. You know one of the sons of Lamido had been convicted for a similar offence.

    “The allegations against Lamido have to do with alleged mismanagement of funds, money laundering and abuse of office.”

    A top official of the EFCC confirmed the relocation of Lamido from Abuja to Kano.

    “The three people have been flown to Kano but our immediate challenge is that the case has not been assigned to any Federal High Court judge as I speak with you.

    “But we are hopeful that they may be arraigned on Wednesday or Thursday. They are facing a 24-count charge bordering on alleged mismanagement of over N1billion.”

    Also, the EFCC has arraigned an employee of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Ali Gambo Abdullahi, before Justice C.N. Orji of the Federal High Court, Apo, Abuja.

    The suspect is facing a two-count charge on conspiracy, bribery and abuse of office.

    According to a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, the suspect’s arrest and subsequent arraignment followed “a petition from one Rasheed O. Taiwo, who claimed that he paid a bribe of N1.8million to the Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja, Mr. Danladi Umar, through the accused.

    But the chairman of CCT, Umar, had consistently denied demanding or receiving any bribe sum through the suspect or anybody.

    The EFCC however said the petitioner, Taiwo, alleged that, “Umar who claimed to be presiding over a case in which he was involved, demanded a N10m (ten million naira) bribe as “settlement”, to give him a clean bill of health.

    ”The petitioner further alleged that, after several negotiations, he paid N1.8m as initial deposit, into the account of Ali Gambo Abdulllahi, in one of the new generation banks.”

    The case has been adjourned to October 21 and 22 for commencement of trial.