Tag: EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered $23, 886 for an American, Jolanta Kasza, who was a victim of a romance scam.

The EFCC is in the process of repatriating the funds to the victim.

A statement by the anti-graft’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the American was a victim of online love.

“The latest recovery of $23,886 by the Commission was made for Jolanta Kasza, an American based in New York.

“She was fleeced of $64,000 by a suspected Nigerian fraudster, Ndekwu Jindu (aka Dr. Daniel Coffman) in a romance scam.

“Kasza allegedly met Coffman online in June 2012, and the fraudster introduced himself as self employed Caucasian pharmacist.

Impressed by the profile, Kasza “fell in love” with both agreeing to get married.

“According to her, in the course of the affair, the suspect at different times requested for money under various guise. Before she realised that she was dealing with a con artist, she had lost $64,000 to the fraudster.

She consequently petitioned the EFCC, which through discreet investigation recovered $23,886 USD. The agency is in the process of repatriating the fund to the victim.”

Meanwhile, EFCC has recovered $2,000 for another American victim of love scam, Margaret Sanders.

The cheque for the recovered sum has been presented to the victim through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Sanders, who lives in Sherman, Texas, praised the EFCC after she was presented with a cheque for the sum by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

She expressed delight at the professionalism demonstrated by the Nigerian agency in helping to recover the money which she thought she had lost to the scammer.

The statement said: “Sanders met a suspected Nigerian fraudster, Benjamin Akugbe, online and fell in love with him. The scammer who claimed to be Benny Brown from Warri, Delta State, promised her marriage, and requested for $2,000. to enable him join her in United States of America.

“The money was wired to him through Western Union, into an account with the name, Gladys Ikpoba domiciled with a new generation bank.

“After an endless wait for the fiancé, Sanders came to the sad realisation that she had been duped.

“But her efforts to recover the money were unsuccessful until she petitioned the EFCC.”

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said yesterday it would not act on frivolous petitions against some leading candidates in next month’s general elections.

The commission said it cannot be instigated to move against such figures.

It also warned against reading political motives into the activities of the agency.

The EFCC spoke in a statement in Abuja against the backdrop of pressure on the commission to stop some candidates.

A highly-placed source said the petitioners cut across all the political parties in desperate bid to stop some candidates.

But, the EFCC said it won’t allow itself to be used by anyone or group, reminding the public that the law empowers the commission to prosecute those writing frivolous petitions.

The statement said: “It is another season of politics. With the general elections fast approaching, politicians of all hue are traversing the country in desperate bid to woo the electorates for their votes. Such is the beauty of democracy, which is founded on healthy contest with the electorate as the ultimate decider.

“Unfortunately, not all the actors in our nation’s political arena understand the rudiments of a free electoral contest. For some category of politicians, elections are nothing short of open warfare, where any weapon that can swing the tide in their favour is fair. It does not matter whether such weapons deviate from the acceptable norm.

The EFCC said it would stick to its standards on investigation than being coerced by anybody or group.

The anti-graft agency reminded the public that it was an offence to write false petitions.

The statement said: “It is equally important that members of the public realise that it is an offence under the EFCC Establishment Act to write false petitions or supply misleading information to the commission.

“Also, the trend where persons engage in acts of criminality and attempt to blackmail the EFCC from going after them by imputing political motives to the commission’s enforcement activities is most unfortunate.

“Nobody is above the law. The fact that a politician is the standard bearer of any political party for any political office does not amount to immunity from investigation or prosecution for any acts of criminality.

•’Embrace dialogue not confrontation’

The Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti was shut yesterday, following protests by the workers, who demanded the removal of the Rector, Dr. Taiwo Akande.

They accused her of embezzling N350million  cooperative funds.

The workers, who blocked the entrance to the polytechnic, also accused the rector of illegal pension deductions from contract workers’ benefits, “in flagrant disregard of the polytechnic’s financial regulations.”

The protest, which began at 7am, was organised by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU).

The union leaders, who addressed reporters and workers, also accused Dr. Akande of autocratic tendencies, favouritism and nepotism in workers’ promotion, saying the polytechnic would remain closed until she was cleared of the allegation of corruption by the Federal Government.

The ASUP Chairman, Mr. Tunji Owoeye, urged Education Minister Ibrahim Shekarau to order the rector to step aside for investigation into the allegations of corruption levelled against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

He also demanded Mrs. Akande’s sack for alleged “non-implementation of CONTISS 15 as directed by the Federal Government, non-remittance of workers’ contributions to cooperative societies, deduction of pension from contract and casual workers, non-refund of pension deduction, highhandedness in policy implementation, award of contracts without due process and over-employment.

Owoeye said: “The polytechnic community is tired of her administration and leadership style. Several times she has tried to polarise the institution and de-unionise us, using devices including divide and rule and tribal sentiments.

“Most recent is the use of new workers against the old, which accounts for why she over-bloated the system with frivolous employments.

“As we speak, CONTISS 15 is operational in all the polytechnics, except Federal Polytechnic, Ado- Ekiti. She cajoled us in October 2013, promising to start when the finances improved, but only to tell us that there was no such plan for us.”

NASU chief Adekunle Adeniyi also accused the rector of placing workers of the same cadre on different grade levels, based on the fraternity with her. He said this had promoted acrimony among the workers.

Adeniyi said: “We want the Federal Government to set up a panel to investigate the activities of the management. Pending that time, we appeal to the Minister of Education to suspend Dr. Akande to prevent the investigations from being impeded.”

The rector refuted the allegations. She accused the workers of having a hidden agenda and advised them to wait for the outcome of the EFCC and ICPC investigations.

Speaking through the Deputy Registrar (Information and Protocol), Ade Adeyemi-Adejolu, Dr. Akande, who claimed that her administration was transparent in its financial dealings, accused the workers of  pursuing a parochial and a selfish agenda.

She accused them of acting arbitrarily by not following due process before embarking on an indefinite strike, urging them to toe the path of civility and embrace dialogue, rather than confrontation, which  could disrupt peace.

•Ribadu thanks Obasanjo, Fawehinmi, others

THE Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, has emphasised that the agency would not accept anything less than excellence from its operatives.

He also said in spite of initial scepticism, EFCC had fulfilled its mandate in the last 11 years.

But it was an emotional day when a former Chairman of EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, paid tributes to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, ex-Inspector General of Police Tafa Balogun, who was tried and jailed by the anti-graft agency, the late Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) and the media for the success of the commission.

Lamorde, who made the submissions at “Rewards and Recognition” ceremony for 306 past and present workers at the EFCC Academy in Karu, Abuja, said the commission would not lower its high standards.

Lamorde said: “Right from inception, the commission took a conscious decision to be different; thereby throwing a challenge to chart a totally new path in law enforcement in Nigeria.

“Consequently, we have set a very high standard for our staff, not only at the point of entry, but also in the discharge of their duties and for them to continue to stay employed with the commission.

“The EFCC that only a few were willing to give a fleeting chance of succeeding 11 years ago, is today an institution of reckoning in law enforcement, with operations, partnerships and influence stretching across and beyond the African continent.

“We are also here to remind ourselves that as far as the EFCC is concerned, anything less than excellent is unacceptable”.

He said the reason for the gathering was to say “thank you” to former and present workers, friends and stakeholders, who had distinguished themselves in their contributions to EFCC collective aspirations.

A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi (SAN), under whose tenure EFCC was established, asked the commission to be “resolute in its efforts to rid the country of economic and financial crimes.”

He said: “Our country is ours to build, and you are in the remarkable position, having been appointed to investigate and prosecute all those who undermine that work through corruption.

“Our laws are not self-enforcing. They require good men and women to enforce them; and you of the EFCC are the good men and women that the nation has appointed to see to the enforcement of our laws.”

On his part, a former EFCC Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who was also one of the awardees, said:  “No institution in Nigeria has given hope and still gives hope to Nigerians than the EFCC.

“The EFCC remains my family, and no matter how long, your good efforts will be rewarded. Don’t worry; continue to do your job no matter the circumstances, and you will surely be rewarded.”

The Ekiti State government has expressed confidence on the judgment of the Election Petitions Tribunal expected to be delivered today in Abuja.

The All Progressives Congress (APC), in its petition, urged the tribunal to “unravel the hidden facts surrounding the election,” contending that the election was more of “a mechanical exercise than conventional casting of votes”.

The party alleged manipulation of the election in favour of the PDP candidate; undue militarisation and the impeachment of Fayose in 2006, as well as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) cases hanging on the governor-elect.

The Special Assistant to the Governor on Information, Youth, Sports and Culture, Lanre Ogunsuyi, said the Ayo Fayose administration was not losing sleep over the verdict as it expected justice to be served.

Speaking at a briefing yesterday, Ogunsuyi said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was “neither alarmed nor rattled by the pending judgment”.

He said: “We are neither alarmed nor bothered by this judgment because this government is God-ordained. Fayose enjoys divine arrangement because it is not easy for somebody to leave a government and came back to win in all the 16 local governments eight years after.

“We have trust in the judicial system.  We are waiting for the verdict of the court. We are not going to smear the judiciary nor influence it to do our bidding. But we are hoping for is that the judiciary will do justice to the petition without fear or favour.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said there was no cause for alarm on the judgment to be delivered in Abuja on the petition filed against Fayose’s victory.

APC Publicity Secretary Taiwo Olatunbosun said the party had diligently prosecuted the case and expected the Judiciary to right the wrong.

Olatunbosun said: “As a law-abiding party, we took our case to the Election Petitions Tribunal and we have adduced enough evidence why the purported victory of Fayose cannot stand.

“We have done what is right rather than resorting to self-help and it is now left to the tribunal to examine evidence we have brought before them and give judgment without fear or favour.

“We urge our reporters to remain calm, our lawyers have done their best and we are eagerly awaiting the verdict of the tribunal.

“Judiciary is the last hope of the common man and we have established reasons why the purported victory cannot stand the test of legal scrutiny”.