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Tag: EFCC

  • EFCC won’t dabble in political issues, says Lamorde

    EFCC won’t dabble in political issues, says Lamorde

    The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde yesterday said the commission would not be influenced by politics.

    He also asked the media to assist anti-graft agency to prevent crooks from occupying political office.

    Lamorde, who made the clarification while speaking with newsmen after the opening of a workshop on Reporting Economic Crimes organized by EFCC in Abuja, said the commission has not been engaging in selective investigations.

    He said: “Our activities won’t be determined by who does what with government. We are not going to be drawn into political issues. We are doing our job and we will continue to do our job. We want the understanding of the journalists.”

    He asked the media to complement the efforts of EFCC and other anti-graft agencies to stop corrupt. Elements from occupying political office.

    He implored the media to feed Nigerians with antecedents of corrupt aspirants.

    He added: At times if you check the history of somebody-the background-you will be able to write a story that he is not fit for public office. Maybe he has mental issue, maybe he was arrested as a youngster and he has been stealing in his secondary school perhaps he was sent it of school, maybe he was caught in his university with with disc there is a history.

  • Ajudua asks for fresh bail

    Ajudua asks for fresh bail

    Lagos socialite and alleged fraudster, Mr. Fred Ajudua, on Wednesday asked a Lagos High Court in Ikeja for a fresh bail.

    Counsel to Ajudua, Mr. Olaekan Ojo, filed the fresh bail application before the court presided by Justice Ganiyu Safari.

    Another accused person, Charles Hijiudu, had earlier been denied bail by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole on June 27.

    Oyewole had ruled that Ajudua failed to present convincing materials to back his claim that he would not escape from trial after doing so for seven years when he was earlier granted bail in 2005.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had in 2003 arraigned Ajudua and his co-accused, Hijiudu, for allegedly defrauding two Dutch businessmen – Mr. Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen – of about $1.69m between July 1999 and September 2000.

    At the resumption of trial on Wednesday, Ojo, who argued the fresh application dated August 19, said there were fresh facts which emerged after his client was last denied bail by Justice Oyewole.

    According to Ojo, after Ajudua was denied bail, he was rushed to the emergency unit of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, when his condition deteriorated.

    But the EFCC, through its counsel, Mr. Wemimo Ogunde (SAN), opposed the application, saying Ajudua did not deserve any fresh bail.

     

  • NBA: we won’t submit to CBN’s, EFCC’s control

    NBA: we won’t submit to CBN’s, EFCC’s control

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday rejected a bid by the Federal Government to control its members’ transactions through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    It has filed a suit challenging the new provision that lawyers must report transactions beyond $1,000 to the government as a way of fighting terrorism and money laundering.

    “We are willing to join the fight against terrorism and money laundering, but not at the expense of the independence of the bar,” NBA President Okey Wali (SAN) said.

    He spoke at a plenary session at the association’s 53rd Annual General Conference in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

    Wali said NBA went to court because while it did not support money laundering, adding that lawyers would not be blackmailed into submitting to external control.

    “We will not succumb to being regulated from the outside,” he said.

    Every lawyer is expected to report transactions above $1,000 to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) at the EFCC — in line with the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 and the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011.

    Section 5 of the law says if a lawyer defaults in reporting, the CBN Governor can withdraw his licence.

    “The law says what we as lawyers cannot accept. We couldn’t understand how the CBN governor will withdraw my licence from me from outside the bar. It is also in conflict with our laws on solicitor-client relationship,” Wali said.

    The NBA President said the association had strong internal mechanisms for self-regulation.

    Chairman, NBA Lagos Branch, Mr Alex Muoka, said banks were already mandated to report certain transactions beyond particular amounts to security agencies; “therefore, asking lawyers to make such reports amounts to duplication of duties.”

    The CBN, he said, should rather monitor more closely banks’ reporting of transactions that go through them.

    The association said one way to checkmate crime among lawyers was through the introduction of the stamp and seal project, with which all legitimate lawyers in the country could be identified.

    The Chairman of NBA Stamp and Seal Committee, Hassan Liman (SAN), said the situation had become so bad that some processes filed in court were signed by fake lawyers, who did not pass through the Nigerian Law School.

    Lawyers, however, rejected the announcement that the stamp would be renewed annually at a cost.

    A chorus of “no!” filled the hall as lawyers said they could not be made to buy the stamps every year.

     

  • EFCC arrests satellite broadcast scammer in Kano

    EFCC arrests satellite broadcast scammer in Kano

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday confirmed the arrest of a suspected digital satellite broadcast scammer, Tope Ajayi, in Kano.

    The commission said Ajayi was picked up last Friday by the operatives of the EFCC from his apartment at 26, Link Bawo Road, in Hausawa, Kano, following intelligence report.

    A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said over 100 decoders and other computer gadgets were recovered from his server room during a search on his apartment.

    The statement said: “Ajayi, who claimed to have worked with Skye Bank Plc, is said to be a major digital satellite broadcast scammer.

    “He is alleged to have a server that links up with a server in China and an unknown Internet Service Provider (ISP) somewhere in Europe or the United States of America.”

    The EFCC said the suspect was also alleged to be “engaged in illegal importation, selling and distribution of pirated devices popularly known as Dungle which enables subscribers to have free access to Multichoice satellite signals across West and Central Africa.”

    The statement added: “According to Mr. Frikkie Jonker, Senior Anti-Piracy Manager, Multichoice, Ajayi’s server is considered strong as it controls its counterpart server in China and distributes satellite signals to a host of West African and Central African countries, including Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya Uganda and Benin Republic .

    “It was also revealed that the suspect had been extracting control words from Multichoice cards in Nigeria and sending same to a server in China which is connected to an ISP server placed somewhere in Europe or America.

    “Jonker, who expressed his gratitude to the EFCC for the arrest, described the scam as one of the biggest in recent times.

    “Ajayi will be arraigned in court when investigation is concluded.”

     

  • EFCC arrests 17 suspects for N1.7b Oyo pension ‘fraud’

    EFCC arrests 17 suspects for N1.7b Oyo pension ‘fraud’

    •Ex-HoS wanted

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 17 suspects for an alleged N1.7 billion pension fraud in Oyo State.

    The embezzled funds were meant for primary school pensioners.

    In a statement, EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren said the pension offices in the 33 local governments in Oyo State were affected by the scam.

    He listed the suspects as former Executive Secretary of the State Local Government Pension Board Muili Aderemi; former Treasurer of the board Mrs. Iyabo Giwa; former Cashier Adeshina Ayoade; former Internal Auditor Oguntayo Banji and former Administrative Officer Adebiyi Olasunbo Musendiq.

    The rest are Muili Adedamola; Salewa Adedeji; Kareem Rasheed; Johnson Bosede; Adeduntan Johnson; Olomide Olaide; Oyebamiji Akinlolu; Adewale Kehinde; Saka Ikeola; Oluokun Funmilayo; Oyetunji Taiwo and Olujimi Philip Adebayo.

    The statement reads: “The Pension Board reportedly received N4,140,020,501.72 billion from both the Federation Account and the Oyo State Government between September 2010 and February 2011.

    “Of this amount, N1.711,894,667.05 cash withdrawal was fraudulently made by the suspects. Items recovered from the suspects include buildings, poultry farms, power generating sets and undeveloped plots of land. The suspects will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.”

    Chairman of the Oyo Local Government Pension Board, who is also the Head of the Local Government Service Commission, Chief Lasisi Ayanjoko, said a probe of the board’s account between September 2010 and March 2011 revealed the fraud.

    He said: “The board discovered this fraud after complaints by local government workers and retirees, who claimed that the government had not paid their pension.

    “When we received the complaints, we set up a committee to look into it and found out that some money was collected by some civil servant intermediaries in the commission and was never remitted to the pensioners.”

    The Nation learnt that a former Head of Service (HoS) in the state is wanted by the EFCC in connection with the fraud.

    The former HoS served in the administration of Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala.

    EFCC operatives were at her home last week but she was not around.

    They pasted a sticker on her fence with the inscription: “Under Investigation”.

    EFCC Head of Public Affairs Mr. Wilson Uwujare said he was yet to be briefed on the case.

    On how the fraud was allegedly perpetrated, Ayankojo said cheques were issued in the suspects’ names, rather than through e-payment into the accounts of pensioners.

    He said between September and November 2010, the then Executive Secretary and Director, Finance and Administration, of the board withdrew N680,430,646.69 from the Local Government Staff Account meant for pensioners and N1,353,868,062.60 from the Teachers Account.

    Ayankojo said the two officers, who are at large, and seven other top officials of the board also collected N173,800,000 from the pensioners’ accounts.

    He alleged that another staff in the Accounts Department (names withheld), at various times within the period, withdrew N401,300,000 from pensioners’ account.

    Ayankojo said the suspects claimed they collected the cheques from the Executive Secretary and gave the money to him after cashing it.

    He said the government had no option but to invite the police to get to the root of the matter, adding that the fraud was responsible for the slow payment of teachers and local government pensioners’.

    Ayankojo said: “We urge pensioners to be patient with us. What we are doing now is to protect their interests. That is why we are telling the whole world what is responsible for the delay in pension payment.”

     

  • EFCC arrests satellite broadcast scammer in Kano

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of one Tope Ajayi for his alleged involvement in digital satellite broadcast scam.

    The commission said Ajayi was picked up last Friday by the operatives of the EFCC from his apartment at 26 Link Bawo Road in Hausawa area of Kano following intelligence report.

    A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said over 100 decoders and other computer gadgets were recovered from his server room by operatives of the commission during a search on his apartment.

    The statement said: “Ajayi who claimed to have worked with Skye Bank Plc is said to be a major digital satellite broadcast scammer.

    “He is alleged to have a server that links up with a server in China and an unknown Internet Service Provider, somewhere in Europe or the United State of America.”

    The EFCC said the suspect was also alleged to be “engaged in illegal importation, selling and distribution of pirate devices popularly known as Dungle which enables subscribers to have free access to Multichoice satellite signals across West and Central Africa.”

    The statement added: “According to Mr. Frikkie Jonker, Senior Anti-Piracy Manager, Multichoice, Ajayi’s server is considered strong as it controls its counterpart server in China and distributes satellite signals to a host of West African and Central African countries including Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya Uganda and Benin Republic .”

     

  • Failed bank: EFCC grills Saraki

    Failed bank: EFCC grills Saraki

    For hours yesterday, former Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki was a guest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    He was grilled by the anti-graft agency over the failure of family-owned Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria (SGBN).

    SGBN is believed to have transformed to Heritage Bank, which began operation a few months ago.

    Saraki now represents Kwara Central in the Senate.

    Investigation revealed that EFCC invited Saraki following six petitions by some aggrieved groups.

    About eight cases were said to have arisen from the said petitions, some of which were rated as politically motivated.

    This is the third time Saraki would be investigated by EFCC.

    He was probed in 2004, 2010 and last year by the EFCC and the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the police.

    Saraki reportedly arrived at the commission about 10am and left at 6p.m.

    A highly- placed source in the EFCC, who spoke in confidence, said: “Our job is to simply ask the former governor to respond to all allegations, no matter how frivolous.

    “If there is no prima facie case against him, we will set the ex-governor free. We invited the governor before the Sallah break and he has decided to honour our summons”.

    Responding to a question, the source added: “It is too early to go into the merits or demerits of the allegations against the former governor.”

    EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity Mr. Wilson Uwujaren confirmed that Saraki interacted with an EFCC team on sundry issues.

     

  • EFCC witch-hunting officials, says Rivers

    •PDP welcomes probe

    The Rivers State government yesterday said operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the state are witch-hunting government officials and abusing judicial process.

    Chief of Staff, Government House, Tony Okocha said the Rotimi Amaechi administration is not afraid of the EFCC’s probe. He urged the operatives not to deliberately trample on judicial orders.

    Okocha said the operatives ought to be aware of a subsisting court order, which restrained officials of the anti-graft agency to stay away from interrogating or investigating Rivers government officials on the state’s financial dealings.

    The chief of staff said: “This is another phase in the Federal Government’s attempt at intimidating and witch-hunting the government and its officials.

    “If the EFCC’s operatives want to probe the activities of the government, they should vacate the subsisting court order, which restrains them from probing the state government’s affairs.

    “The court order is still subsisting and they (EFCC’s operatives) know that the proper thing to do is to vacate the order first, but they have left that undone, they rather came to unleash the operatives on Rivers state officials. This is improper and we consider it a violation of judicial process.

    “Rivers State government is not stopping the EFCC’s officials from doing their duties. We have no reason to be afraid of probes or investigations. “The government and its officials have not done anything unlawful. Our books are clean, but we must insist that things be done properly,

    “Nigeria is a democracy. We profess the rule of law and the supremacy of the constitution. So, the EFCC should not, because it is Rivers State now, try to disregard or disobey the law.

    “It is obvious. This is just another phase of the witch-hunting game. You know how they operate. They will just go after people, hoping to intimidate and harass them.”

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday hailed the incarceration of House Leader Chidi Lloyd.

    The party urged operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to extend their investigations to state officials and local government helmsmen.

    It condemned the taking over of Lloyd’s by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Worgu Boms.

    The PDP, through the Special Adviser on Media to the Chairman, Felix Obuah, Jerry Needam, yesterday in Port Harcourt, said the representative of Obio/Akpor 2 Constituency, Michael Chinda, must get justice.

    “We are shocked that since the July 9 incident in the House of Assembly, neither Governor Rotimi Amaechi nor Boms, had visited Chinda in London.

    “All they are concerned about is how to secure Lloyd’s release.”

    The PDP admonished the EFCC operatives not to allow themselves to be intimidated.

  • Rivers crisis: EFCC quizzes detained House Leader

    Rivers crisis: EFCC quizzes detained House Leader

    Govt protests alleged plan to change charges against lawmaker

    With Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives visiting Port Harcourt to quizz the detained Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, the crisis in Rivers State seems to be taking a new shape.

    The deployment of EFCC operatives, to observers of the political row, signposts a breakdown of the ongoing reconciliation talks between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

    A source in the state said the coming of the EFCC operatives was a ploy to implicate Amaechi and pave the way for his impeachment .

    But the EFCC yesterday said its operatives were in Rivers State as part of an ongoing investigation.

    It was gathered that the EFCC operatives stormed Port Harcourt at the weekend to look into the financial activities of the state government and House of Assembly.

    The operatives reportedly made Lloyd’s police detention camp their first port of call.

    For about two hours, the operatives interrogated Lloyd on some financial transactions between the Executive and the Legislature.

    A source in the anti-graft commission said: “We are looking into allegations of diversion of public funds, outright graft and financial crimes against Lloyd and some public officials in Rivers State.

    “I cannot give you the details to avoid disclosures which could prejudice ongoing investigation because our operatives just got to Rivers State.

    “Already, the operatives have met with Chidi Lloyd at the facility where he is being detained. They are going to interact with other officials connected with allegations against Lloyd.

    “It is not a personal thing against Lloyd; if nothing is found against him, we will let the public know.”

    The Rivers State Government yesterday raised the alarm over the Federal Government’s “desperation” to take over Lloyd’s prosecution through the EFCC.

    It alleged that the operatives of the EFCC were acting on the instructions of two prominent citizens involved in the crisis to change Lloyd’s charge from attempted murder.

    The Amaechi administration also accused the Federal Government of playing dirty, stressing that attempted murder, the allegation with which Lloyd has been charged, is under the state’s purview.

    Commissioner for Information and Communications Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said: “The Federal Government is playing dirty. They have brought in the EFCC to interrogate and investigate the House of Assembly’s Leader, Hon. Chidi Lloyd (a lawyer, who represents Emohua constituency).

    “They want to take over the prosecution by ulterior means and so plan to change the charge from attempted murder, which is under the state’s purview, to EFCC.

    “They have planted something in Hon. Chidi Llyod’s house, which would be against the governor.”

    A government source said: “They have designed a plot to detain Lloyd perpetually. With this, it is apparent that they intend to arrest other members of the G-27 who are loyal to Amaechi.

    “Since they failed to impeach Amaechi with five lawmakers, they have opted the ambush method by framing up Lloyd and the 26 lawmakers in the state.

    “Once they are able to arrest the 27 lawmakers, the five pro-Minister Nyesom Wike’s lawmakers can then sit and impeach Amaechi.”

    Another source spoke of some stakeholders being against the reconciliation plans between the President and Amaechi.

    “It is clear that the so-called peace talks were mere shadow chasing to gauge the mind of the governor,” the source said.

    EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren said: “Some of our operatives are in Rivers State over an ongoing investigation. I think there is a link to the Majority Leader Chidi Lloyd.

    “But the operation is not just a Port Harcourt or Rivers State thing; it is about investigation of some allegations in some states in the Southsouth.”

    It was learnt that Amaechi summoned a meeting of the State Executive Council, obviously to discuss the latest development.

    A third source added: “The governor has been meeting with his executive members on the invasion of the state by EFCC operatives.

    “The governor and his team have nothing to hide but it is evident that the EFCC is falling into a trap of being used for political vengeance.”

  • ‘Why PPRA couldn’t probe oil documents’

    ‘Why PPRA couldn’t probe oil documents’

    A Lagos High Court, Ikeja was yesterday told that the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) failed to investigate some documents submitted by three oil firms for payment of subsidy on oil imported into the county.

    A prosecution witness, Mr Victor Chidok, who is the head of Lagos Zonal Office of the PPPRA, disclosed this while giving evidence before the court presided by Justice Lateefa Okunnu.

    Chidok said that the PPRA could not carry out the investigation because it does not have representative offshore.

    The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) had charged the three oil marketers, Adamu Maula, George Ogbonna, and Emmanuel Morah before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja.

    They were arraigned alongside their companies. Downstream Energy Sources Ltd. and Rocky Energy Ltd. are standing trial for an alleged N789.6 million fuel subsidy fraud.

    At the resumed hearing of the matter, Chidok, who was led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs told the court that Downstream Energy Limited was given permission to import 10,862 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) into Nigeria.

    He said that the defendants submitted some documents relating to a ship-to-ship transfer between a mother vessel, MT La Katrina and the daughter vessel, MT D. Roseline (Daughter Vessel on offshore in Cotonou, Benin Republic.