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Tag: EFCC

  • EFCC arraigns three businessmen over N25m ‘fraud’

    EFCC arraigns three businessmen over N25m ‘fraud’

    The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned three businessmen – Roland Enang, Sam Onuoha and Theo Ohiagu – before a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, over an alleged N25 million fraud.

    The directors of Claysworth Oil Limited were arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo on a two-count charge of fraud bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretences.

    Counsel to the EFCC, Mrs Zainab Etuh, alleged that the accused, on March 17, 2011, at Ikeja, allegedly obtained N25 million from Africoat Limited by fraudulent means.

    The commission said the accused falsely presented the money that it represented payment to Delta Omega Limited for the procurement of a bank guarantee from HSBC Bank, Hong Kong.

    She said their alleged offences contravene Sections 1(2)(3) and 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2004.

    But the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Justice Onigbanjo, ruling on the bail application of the accused, moved orally by their counsel, Mr Paul Ananaba (SAN), granted the bail for N1 million each with two sureties in like sum.

    The judge said the sureties must be resident in Lagos State and have to produce two years’ tax clearance payable to the state government.

    He said one of the sureties must own a landed property in Lagos State while the other surety must be a civil servant not below Level 12.

    Justice Onigbanjo directed the defendants to report to the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) on the first Friday of every month pending the determination of the case.

    He also directed them to deposit their international passports and other travel documents to the EFCC, adding that these must not be released without the express permission of the court.

    The judge ordered them to be remanded in Ikoyi Prison pending the perfection of their bail terms.

    Justice Onigbanjo adjourned the matter till December 16 for trial.

  • How fake EFCC officials attempted to defraud Suswam – Witness

    How fake EFCC officials attempted to defraud Suswam – Witness

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has revealed how four suspects attempted to swindle Governor Gabriel Suswan of Benue State of US$3million.

    The suspects are – Mark Gbaa (alias Nasiru Nasamu); Ezekiel Ajik Azi; Bulus Ashom Agwom; and Nuhu Bawa Atangs.

    The commission said the suspects conspired to impersonate officials of the commission in an attempt to blackmail Suswam to part with $3million.

    According to a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the revelation came about at the ongoing trial of the supects by Justice E.N. Kpojime of the Benue State High Court, Makurdi.

    The statement said the police orderly to the governor Julius Donmo and a senior officer with the Directorate of State Security Service, Aliu Dikko explained how they were contacted by the suspects in their plot to deceive Suswam to cough out $3million.

    The statement said: “At the resumed hearing of the case on June 3, 2013, Julius Donmo, a member of the Police Mobile force and orderly to Governor Suswam and Aliu Dikko, a senior DSS officer were led in evidence by counsel to EFCC Joseph Uzor. They gave detailed account of how the accused persons attempted to deceive Suswam into believing that they were Operatives of EFCC investigating a non- existent fraud perpetrated by his Commissioner for Finance.

    “Donmo, narrated how he was contacted by the first accused person, Mike Gbaa claiming to be a high level officer from EFCC wishing to see the governor to help stop investigation of fraud against his government.

    “He revealed how after series of calls and text messages, Bulus Ashom Agwom and Nuhu Bawa Atangs were arrested when they came to collect the agreed sum of $3million by operatives of the Department of State Security.”The first accused was later arrested through his phone. In his testimony, Dikko identified the accused persons as the suspects arrested and brought to him by his operatives for an alleged crime of impersonation and fraud.

    “He disclosed that they were subsequently interrogated and made statements under caution.

    ” As the statements were to be tendered, the defence counsel, J.B. Damboi, opposed the admissibility of the documents on the grounds that they were allegedly obtained under duress.

    “The development prompted the prosecution counsel to ask for a trial within trial to ascertain the veracity of the defence claim. The trial judge thereafter adjourned to July 2, 2013 for trial within trial.

    “The accused persons are facing a six-count charge of impersonation, forgery and criminal conspiracy to obtain the sum of three million US Dollars from Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State.”

     

  • EFCC arraigned staff for receiving car gift from ex-pension chief

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned one of its former staff, Abdullahi Ishaq, before Justice Salisu Garba of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja for receiving a Toyota Camry car gift from a suspect facing trial for alleged N4.5billion pension scam.

    The former staff got the car gift as gratification from a former Director of Pension Accounts, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Shuaibu Teidi.

    According to a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the accused person is facing trial on a two-count charge bordering on professional misconduct, corrupt practices and false declaration of assets.

    The statement said: “The accused, a former Detective Inspector with the EFCC attached to the office of the Head of Operations, Abuja, is alleged to have used his position to fraudulently receive a Toyota Camry car as gratification from Dr. Shuaibu Teidi, a former Director of Pension Accounts, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, who is presently being prosecuted by the commission over a N4.5 Billion pension scam.

    “Ishaq also failed to make disclosure in his Asset Declaration Form, a house be built in Yarlemo Naibawa area of Kano State, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 27(3)(a)of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27(3) of the same Act.

    “One of the counts reads: “That you Abdullahi Ishaq, being an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) attached to the office of the Head of Operations, Abuja on or about the 4th of November, 2010 at Abuja, within the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory being a public officer used your position in the office of the Head of Operations, to receive a Toyota Camry car with registration No. BG 260 MKA from Dr. Shuaibu Teidi as gratification for yourself and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 19 of the ICPC Act, 2000”.

    “Ishaq’s tango with the law, started when the ex-Director of Pension alleged that some persons collected money from him with a promise to help him out of the case he had with the commission.

    “A forensic analysis conducted on Shuaibu’s telephone number revealed that Ishaq had exchanged text messages with him and solicited for financial and other materials assistance.

    “Ishaq later admitted that he received N380, 000 from Shuaibu. Further investigation revealed that Ishaq gave his wife’s international passport to Shuaibu, requesting for Hajj sponsorship although the request was not granted.”

    “The accused pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.

     

  • Quantity surveyors seek reduction in project costs

    President of the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN) Mallam Husaini Dikko has sought the assistance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to partner to reduce project costs in the country.

    Dikko said for the nation to achieve its Vision 20:2020, the building and construction industry needs to contribute to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    He spoke at the Third Building and Construction Economic Round Table in Abuja.

    Dikko said: “We require the anti-graft agencies to continually collaborate with the QSRBN. Syntheses and analyses of building and construction projects cost are highly technical and the expertise may not be domiciled in the aforementioned anti-graft agencies.

    “This partnering relationship will produce the synergy necessary to deal a mortal blow to corruption in this sector.”

    He added that this group’s focus on transparency and accountability was critical to the realisation of the potentials of the building and construction sector.

    According to him, the sector will be relevant to set agenda for the nation’s economic development.

    However, he said, there was the need to set standards for project cost as well as templates to determine the cost bands across the geo-political zones of the country.

    This move, to him, would bring sanity into cost of building and construction projects in the nation.

  • EFCC begins trial of oil subsidy suspects

    A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja heard yesterday that about 20,000 metric tonnes of premium motor spirit (petrol), imported from Sweden, in respect of which three oil marketers are standing trial, never got to Nigeria.

    A prosecution witness at the ongoing trial of the three suspects, Hammed Lawal, made this known to the court presided over by Justice Lateefat Okunnu.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Samuel Bamidele, Abiodun Kayode Bankole and their company, A.S.B. Investment Company Limited, with allegedly fraudulently obtaining payments from the petroleum support fund as subsidy for the importation of petrol to the tune of N1,341,471,735.67.

    Lawal told the court that the analysis on the documents of claims by the oil marketers showed that the suspects did not supply the products.

    Justice Okunnu adjourned further hearing till June 5.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Ex-Spring Bank’s, Bank PHB’s chiefs seek to quash charges

    A former Managing Director of the defunct Spring Bank Plc, Charles Ojo, and his Bank PHB Plc counterpart, Francis Atuche, have urged a Federal High Court, Lagos, to quash criminal charges brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    They are facing a 45-count charge of alleged N125 billion fraud.

    Ojo was formerly with Bank PHB before moving to Spring Bank following a merger bid.

    Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia reserved ruling for July 8.

    She fixed the date after Ojo’s lawyer, Mr Osahon Idemudia, had replied on points of law to processes filed by the prosecutor, Mr Dele Adesina (SAN).

    The defendants were first arraigned before Justice Akinjide Ajakaiye in 2009.

    They had pleaded not guilty to the charge, and the court had granted them bail.

    They subsequently challenged the competence of the charge preferred against them, urging the court to quash it, but Justice Ajakaiye had refused their application and ordered their trial.

    The two then filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal, urging it to set aside the ruling of Justice Ajakaiye which ordered their trial.

    Ojo and Atucje were subsequently re-arraigned before Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia on November 14, last year following Justice Ajakaiye’s transfer.

    This led to the commencement of the case de novo (afresh) before Ofili-Ajumogobia.

  • Sylva seeks court’s permission for foreign trip

    Sylva seeks court’s permission for foreign trip

    Former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, has applied to a Federal High Court in Abuja for permission to accompany his wife on a foreign trip.

    The ex-governor is standing trial before the court for alleged money laundering related offences.

    Sylva, in his application filed on May 16 said his wife was scheduled for surgery in a United Kingdom hospital and needed his company.

    He also urged the court to release his international passport to enable him embark on the trip. He promised to return for trial and to also return the passport to the custody of the court.

    Sylva said the ground for his application was that it was part of the conditions attached to the bail granted him last June, to always seek the court’s leave before embarking on foreign trips.

    He said his wife needed a company for her trip and he was the readily available choice, being the husband.

    However, the Economic and Financial Commission, the prosecuting agency, has objected to the application. It has filed a counter affidavit to that effect.

    It urged the court to reject Sylva’s application on the ground that he may not return for trial.

     

  • EFCC arrests fraud suspect

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a 33-year-old man, Gift Onyegam, for allegedly defrauding a blind teacher, Mrs. Mary Rose Ihekanacho, of N830,000.

    The agency, in a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “The victim was deceived through calls purportedly by a former acquaintance, Patrick Abah, a fellow she met during her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation in 2009, into making the payments to enable her secure employment for her son with Shell Petroleum Company in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    “The supposed Patrick had asked if she would like to work with Shell in Port Harcourt as they were recruiting.

    “Mary said she would like the job for her son and the fraudster promised to assist her through his in-law, Okoh Ayabaye, an engineer with Shell.

    “She was then asked to pay the sum of N830,000 into two accounts: a First Bank account belonging to Okoh Ayabaye and a Diamond Bank account belonging to Alamabo Teneilabe.

    “It dawned on her that she had been duped when the job was not forthcoming after the payment had been made. “

     

  • N1.1b subsidy fraud: EFCC begins trial of marketers

    N1.1b subsidy fraud: EFCC begins trial of marketers

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday began the trial of Abdullahi Alao, son of Ibadan businessman Alhaji Abdullazeez Arisekola-Alao, at a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja.

    Abdullahi Alao and two others and their companies were charged before Justice Lateefat Okunnu with fraudulently obtaining N1.1 billion fuel subsidy payment from the Federal Government.

    The other two oil marketers are Opeyemi Ajuyah and Olarenwaju Olalusi. Their companies are Majope Investment Limited and Axenergy Limited.

    At the opening of the trial, EFCC called its first witness, Mrs. Brenda Ataga, an employee of Oando Oil and Gas Plc, to testify against the defendants.

    The witness, who was led in evidence by EFCC’s counsel, Mr. Francis Usani, said Oando entered into an agreement with Majope Investment in 2010 for the supply of 15,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

    Ataga said Majope was to discharge the products at the Lister Jetty in Apapa, Lagos that was being used as a tank farm by Oando before January 4, 2011.

    According to her, Oando appointed a surveyor, Q and Q Control Services Limited, to inspect the products when it was brought by Majope Investment.

    “At the end of the day, instead of supplying the 15,000 metric tonnes as agreed, Majope Investment Limited discharged about 4,700 metric tonnes into the facility,” she said.

    She said Oando Oil and Gas Plc paid Majope Investment Ltd about N320 million for the 4,700 metric tonnes of PMS discharged into its facility.

    Ataga said Ajuyah later told her that the business relationship was suspended due to the cost of demurrage the vessel had incurred off-shore.

    The EFCC, however, alleged that Ajuyah after the said transaction, conspired with Alao and others to fraudulently obtain subsidy payment for 15,000 metric tonnes from the Federal Government.

    Justice Okunnu adjourned the matter till today for continuation of trial.

     

  • Subsidy scam: EFCC commences trial of Arisekola-Alao’s son

    Subsidy scam: EFCC commences trial of Arisekola-Alao’s son

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday began the trial of Abdullahi Alao, son of prominent businessman, Alhaji Abdullazeez Arisekola-Alao, before a Lagos High Court in Ikeja.

    Abdullahi Alao and two others alongside their companies were charged before Justice Lateefat Okunnu for fraudulently obtaining N1.1 billion fuel subsidy payment from the Federal Government.

    The other two oil marketers are Opeyemi Ajuyah and Olarenwaju Olalusi while their companies are Majope Investment Limited and Axenergy Limited.

    At the opening of trial before the court presided by Justice Okunnu on Monday, the EFCC called its first witness, Mrs. Brenda Ataga, an employee of Oando Oil and Gas Plc, to testify against the defendants.

    The witness, who was led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Mr. Francis Usani, said Oando had entered into an agreement with Majope Investment in 2010 for the supply of 15,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

    Ataga said Majope was to discharge the products at the Lister Jetty in Apapa that was being used as a tank farm by Oando before January 4, 2011.

    According to her, Oando appointed a surveyor, Q and Q Control Services Limited to inspect the products when it was brought by Majope Investment.

    “At the end of the day, instead of supplying the 15,000 metric tonnes as agreed, Majope Investment Limited discharged about 4,700 metric tonnes into the facility,” she claimed.

    She said Oando Oil and Gas Plc paid Majope Investment Limited about N320 million for the 4,700 metric tonnes of PMS discharged into its facility.

    Ataga said Ajuyah later told her that the business relationship was suspended due to the cost of demurrage the vessel had incurred off-shore.