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Tag: EFCC

  • EFCC declares oil mogul Akinduro wanted over alleged fraud

    EFCC declares oil mogul Akinduro wanted over alleged fraud

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared an oil mogul, Bolaji Akinduro, wanted over alleged fraud.

    The commission’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

    Oyewale said that Akinduro allegedly obtained money under false pretence and committed stealing by conversion.

    “The public is hereby notified that Bolaji Henry Akinduro is wanted by the EFCC in an alleged case of obtaining money under false pretense, and stealing by conversion.

    “Akinduro is the executive chairman of Total Grace Oil and Gas Investment Limited.

    Read Also: EFCC declares businessman Akinduro wanted over alleged fraud

    “He is 51, is an indigene of Ondo State, and his last known address is: 272, Patience Coker Street, Ajose Adeogun, Victoria Island, Lagos State.

    “Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should please contact the commission,” Oyewale said

    He said that commission could be reached through its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices

    According to him, the anti-graft agency could be reached through 08093322644; its e-mail address:info@efcc.gov.ng or the nearest police station and other security agencies.

  • EFCC appeals acquittal ofex-Lagos Speaker Ikuforiji

    EFCC appeals acquittal ofex-Lagos Speaker Ikuforiji

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has again appealed the acquittal of a former Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji of money laundering charges.

    EFCC had arraigned Ikuforiji alongside his former aide, Oyebode Atoyebi, on a 54-count charge bordering on alleged N338.8 million money laundering.

    But on June 24, Justice Mohammed Liman acquitted Ikuforiji of the charges.

    Dissatisfied with the judgment, EFCC has filed a notice of appeal challenging the judgment.

    The prosecutor, Mr. Ekene Ihenacho (SAN), filed the appeal on behalf of the anti-graft commission.

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    Ihenacho argued that the trial court erred in law when it held that the charge under count one did not present a potential legal issue.

    He also argued that the trial judge erred in law by holding that prosecution’s case hinged on transactions that purportedly exceeded the thresholds of N500,000/N5 million for individuals and N2 million/N10 million for corporate entities under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2004 and 2011.

    Ihenacho argued that the lower court ignored the evidence presented by the prosecutor, which showed that the respondents made and accepted cash payments above the prescribed thresholds.

  • You can’t stop EFCC from probing criminal acts, Clarke tells governors

    You can’t stop EFCC from probing criminal acts, Clarke tells governors

    An elder statesman and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Robert Clarke says only “jittery” governors and their predecessors are challenging the legality of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) not treading the correct grounds.

    Clarke said governors and their predecessors “cannot challenge the Federal Government for implementing an existing law. They cannot challenge the police or any other agency of government (EFCC) for executing an existing law”.

    The senior lawyer was a guest on a national television programme on Wednesday.

    Sixteen states have dragged the EFCC and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to the Supreme Court contesting the constitutionality of the laws establishing the two agencies. The suit was instituted by the Kogi State Government and 15 other states. A seven-man panel of justice led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji has fixed October 22, 2024, to hear the suit.

    Clarke said the legitimacy or otherwise of the laws that created the two agencies can be challenged by the governors. He said: “They have a legal right as governors to bring before the Supreme Court an action that challenges a law that is repugnant to the Constitution.

    “The creation of the law is the prerequisite of the legislators. If you look at the antecedents of the operations of these laws, many of the very notorious (cases), I will not use the word notorious derogatorily, have been involving sitting governors, governors that are out of office, and therefore, they have every right to be jittery that this matter is mainly created for the governors’ bubbles but I do not see to that point.

    “If there is anything in that law that runs against the constitution, they should let us know. But if there is no law today that says the Federal Government cannot pass a law relating to criminal acts of governors during their period of executive work, then I doubt whether they are treading on the correct grounds.

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    “They cannot challenge the Federal Government for implementing an existing law. They cannot challenge the police or any other agency of government that is executing an existing law. This law they are trying to challenge is a law that was created at the start of our laws as of today. If they want to challenge and if there is reasonable ground for them to say that the Federal Government has no power to be the executor of this law, then the court will decide.”

    The EFCC is currently prosecuting the immediate-past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello over alleged N80.2bn money laundering. The incumbent governor, Usman Ododo, has been accused of shielding his predecessor from arrest by the anti-graft agency.

    The senior advocate also said the judiciary must be very careful about conflicting court judgments. Clarke said: “It is very unfortunate. I have discovered that the question of the interpretation of electoral matters is always on television being judged by one court in Sokoto against an act in Shagamu and all these things.

    “If we are not careful in Nigeria today, we will turn our courts into Kangaroo courts because if courts of coordinate jurisdiction give judgments at variance with each other, and the superior court gives another judgment and we make all these issues on television, whereby the ordinary man or woman does not even what the courts are saying, we are treading on very dangerous grounds. We have to be very careful.”

  • EFCC and states challenge of its legitimacy

    EFCC and states challenge of its legitimacy

    “Corruption is incipient in every society and must be continuously purged. Once corruption has set in, it is not possible to wipe it out quickly.” – Mr. Lee Kuan Yew – the First Prime Minister of Singapore.

    I wish to state that I am reflecting on this topic without prejudice to the ongoing Suite at the Supreme Court. I will therefore not be speaking on the legal mechanics but in general terms of the fight against corruption and graft in Nigeria and the potential impacts of actions like the ongoing case before the Supreme Court.

    Like every other Nigerian, I am watching with keen interest the development with regard to the suit instituted at the Supreme Court of the Federation of Nigeria by 16 State Governors across political party lines, challenging the constitutionality and legitimacy of the existence of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In my view, the Suit is politically motivated and not borne out of any intent to better our lot as a nation. This is especially given the fact that there are no subsisting bi-bilateral or multilateral conventions entered into by Nigeria that negate the legislation that promulgated the EFCC Act.

    Three days ago, the Supreme Court fixed October, 22nd, 2024 for the hearing of a suit filed by at least 16 state governments challenging the constitutionality of the laws establishing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and two others. Interestingly, the 15 States are joining in support and/ or consolidation of a Suit, in this regard, initiated last year by the Kogi State Government.

    The Kogi government sought a declaration that the federal government through the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) lacked the power to issue any directive, guideline, advisory or any instrument however called for the administration and management of funds belonging to the state.The Kogi State government also sought a declaration that the EFCC, the NFIU, or any agency of the federal government cannot investigate, requisition documents, invite or arrest anyone concerning offenses arising from or touching on the administration and management of funds belonging to the state.

    Other States that joined in the suit marked: SC/CV/178/2023 include Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Nassarawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, Plateau, Cross-River and Niger.The 16 states said they are relying on the fact that the constitution is the supreme law and any law that is inconsistent with it is a nullity. The plaintiffs argued that the Supreme Court, in Dr. Joseph Nwobike Vs Federal Republic of Nigeria, had held that it was a UN Convention against corruption that was reduced into the EFCC Establishment Act and that in enacting this law in 2004, the provision of Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, was not followed.

    They are arguing that, in bringing a convention into Nigerian law, the provision of Section 12 must be complied with. According to them, the provision of the Constitution necessitated the majority of the states’ Houses of Assembly agreeing to bring the convention in before passing the EFCC Act and others, which was allegedly never done.

    It is a very interesting development, especially given the recent developments and the prosecution faced by former governors and the potential prosecution that governors that will be leaving office will face on issues of graft; to see how this Suit will impede or stop the fight against corruption in Nigeria. The state governors are well within their rights to institute such a landmark suit challenging the constitutionality of such very important institutions in Nigeria, anti-corruption institutions (EFCC and the NFIU). In fact, I am very, very happy that the Governor took this action. This is because I believe that at the end of the day, the two institutions will be further strengthened, which may likely be against the intention of the state governors who instituted the suit.

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    Indeed, there is a global and national consensus that for us to make any meaningful progress in Nigeria, we must effectively fight corruption in Nigeria. This consensus has been established for over 40 years; it was the institutions and the political will that have been lacking up until Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999 with the advent of the 4th Republic and the subsequent legislation and establishment of the EFCC (within which NFIU operated) in 2003 the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration. In the 21 years since the promulgation into law of the EFCC and NFIU, the relevance of the institutions in the fight against corruption has been further entrenched. It is also true that entrenched corrupt vested interests have been consistently fighting back. Therefore, I believe that ongoing overt and covert efforts to undermine those anti-graft institutions, hamstring them, and withhold or whittle their powers will ultimately fail.

    It is worthy of note that since the setup of the EFCC, and NFIU, for the past 21 years, no state government, civic society organizations, constitutional lawyers, etc. have challenged the legislation or any process of the enactment of the institutions into existence and operations. All attempts within those years to challenge the legality of the consequence of suits or prosecutorial processes instituted by these anti-corruption agencies have also failed even at the Supreme Court. I am optimistic that this time around also the will decision of the Supreme Court will be in the overall interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.

    No matter how “noble” the intention of the 16 States could be, the move has dented a negative mark on the image of Nigeria in the Committee of Nations, on the one hand, and is also sending wrong signals to Nigerians. Rather than for state governors to be focused on delivering the much-desired good governance in their respective States in the midst of multi-dimensional poverty; they are preoccupied with such legal exercise is, to say the least, worrisome. Especially when not long ago we were described as “fantastically corrupt” by the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron. In fact, Mr. Cameron was re-echoing how Nigeria was/ is perceived globally despite various anticorruption efforts of successive administrations. It is, therefore, a paradox that 16 Governors of our 36 Governors and the Minister of FCT are taking such a legal step, while Nigeria is trying to shake the ugly toga of being seen as “fantastically corrupt”. This is also happening at a time when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been investing time and a lot of resources to boost the confidence of the international community and attract foreign investments into Nigeria while, as a lot of good Nigerians are all over the world doing their best for themselves, their families and for Nigeria to keep our image good and our flag flying.

    It will be very interesting to see how Mr. President is able to apply political sagacity and strategy to first of all rein in the APC Governors as well as the other Governors across the party lines, to support the enactment of new laws that will boost the war against corruption. It is also important for civic society organizations and Nigerians to rise against any attempt to frustrate the fight against corruption.

    Moreover, the fight against corruption will not be the job of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu alone, nor will it be the job of the National Assembly alone. It will be the job of all the citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If we want to fight corruption in Nigeria, we, as people, must resist any attempt, covertly or overtly, to frustrate the fight against corruption or even to kill or destroy the institutions that are set up to fight corruption. As the saying goes, when you fight corruption, corruption fights you back. I believe that this is the way to go in trying to counter this obvious attempt to subvert what is necessary for; the endurance of the nationhood of Nigeria, the socio-economic recovery of Nigeria, putting the country on the solid economic trajectory, for the successful review and entrenchment of the value reorientation of Nigeria, and the sustainability of the socioeconomic well-being of Nigeria.  I dare say that no Economic strategic blueprint of policies will succeed if the fight against corruption is not a critical pillar.

    Furthermore, we must all note that the pushback against the war against corruption will not stop but continue. It has been like that, coming with different methodologies and approach, and I don’t think it will stop now. What is important is that Nigerians should all see through veiled and clear attempts at drawing us back as a nation and resist such by supporting the President or any leader that is sincerely fighting corruption. And that is why it is important for us not to be caught up in the moment where we are. Nobody knows tomorrow. What is essential is what we are bequeathing to our children and grandchildren.

    It is my expectation that the Supreme Court would judiciously take a position that will be in the overall interest of Nigeria, after which myself and some concerned Nigerans will strongly advocate for some new provisions to be legislated to further strengthen the EFCC, NFIU, and the ICPC for better performance and effectiveness.

     I wish all Nigerians, God’s Guidance and Grace. May Almighty God Continue to Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

  • 16 states to S’Court: bar EFCC, NFIU from probing our accounts

    16 states to S’Court: bar EFCC, NFIU from probing our accounts

    • ‘Law on anti-graft agency defective’
    • Apex court fixes Oct. 22 for hearing

    The Supreme Court is set to determine the powers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate states.

    It has scheduled a hearing for October 22.

    Sixteen state governments are challenging the constitutionality of the law establishing the EFCC.

    The apex court’s seven-member panel, presided over by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, chose the date yesterday after it consolidated three suits filed separately by three states, including Kogi.

    The court also granted the request by 13 states to be made co-plaintiffs in the case filed in the name of their Attorneys-General.

    The plaintiffs in the consolidated case, marked: SC/CV/178/2023, are Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Enugu, Edo, Kogi and Kebbi.

    Others are Katsina, Jigawa, Nassarawa, Niger, Ondo,  Oyo, Ogun, Plateau and Sokoto.

    The 16 states are contending that the Constitution is supreme and that any law that is inconsistent with it is a nullity.

    The plaintiffs contend that the Supreme Court had held in previous cases that it was a United Nations Convention against Corruption that was reduced into the EFCC Establishment Act.

    They argue that in enacting the EFCC Act in 2004, the legislature did not comply with the provision of Section 12 of the Constitution.

    The states insist that Section 12 of the Constitution needed to be complied with before a convention could be made a Nigerian law.

    The section reads: “(1) No treaty between the Federation and any other country shall have the force of law except to the extent to which any such treaty has been enacted into law by the National Assembly.

    “(2) The National Assembly may make laws for the Federation or any part thereof with respect to matters not included in the Exclusive Legislative List for the purpose of implementing a treaty.

    “(3) A bill for an Act of the National Assembly passed pursuant to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section shall not be presented to the President for assent, and shall not be enacted unless it is ratified by a majority of all the House of Assembly in the Federation.”

    The plaintiffs contend that the majority of the state Houses of Assembly must first agree that the convention be adopted before the EFCC Act could be validly enacted.

    According to them, the EFCC Act, as currently enacted, could not be applied to states that never approved of it.

    The plaintiffs want the court to hold that any institution so established, such as the EFCC, should be regarded as an illegal body.

    Some of the reliefs being sought in the suit are:

    *”A declaration that the Federal Government through the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) or any other agency lacks the power to issue any directive, guideline, advisory or any instrument howsoever called for the administration and management of funds belonging to a state.

    *”A declaration that the EFCC, the NFIU or any agency of the Federal Government cannot investigate, requisition documents, invite and or arrest anyone with respect to offences arising from or touching on the administration and management of funds belonging to a state or any local government area.”

    When the case was called, the majority of the counsel prayed for their clients to be joined as co-plaintiffs, and two of the states prayed for an order for consolidation.

    Read Also: Supreme Court hears 16 State’s suit challenging EFCC’s powers Oct 22

    Kogi’s counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed (SAN), said some states indicated interest in a merger, while others sought to be joined as co-plaintiffs.

    “It is for this honourable court to tell us how to proceed, my lord.

    “Out of about 15 states, there are about 13 of them that have indicated interest to be co-plaintiffs and only two want consolidation.

    “To make the task of the court easier, those who want to be joined as co-plaintiffs should be joined and abide by the processes already filed.

    “Those who sought consolidation should be asked to file within seven days,” Mohammed said.

    Justice Abba-Aji adjourned until Oct. 22 for a hearing.

    The Kogi State AG had, in the suit numbered SC/CV/178/2023, sued the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as the sole defendant.

    In the originating summons filed by a team of lawyers led by Prof. Musa Yakubu (SAN), the state raised six questions for determination and sought nine reliefs.

  • EFCC warns oil firms over non-compliance with NEITI

    EFCC warns oil firms over non-compliance with NEITI

    The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede, has warned all players in the oil and gas companies and relevant government agencies that refusal or resistance to comply fully with the annual Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Industry Audit process is considered by the EFCC as a costly mistake.

    He added that where the work of NEITI stops marks the beginning of EFCC investigations.

    He spoke while presenting the 2022-2023 NEITI oil and gas financial audit reports in Abuja.

    NEITI Communications & Stakeholders’ Management, Assistant Director, Mr. Chris Ochonu revealed this in a press statement yesterday.

    According to the statement, Olukoyede promised that the current NEITI Report on the Oil and Gas Gas sector is now with the Commission for further necessary action. He disclosed that just before the event, he signed off a remittance of a recovery of N1 billion naira to the beneficiary agency of the government courtesy of NEITI Report findings.

    The Chairman commended NEITI for its credible data and promised to deepen cooperation with the agency.

    NEITI said over five trillion standard cubic feet of gas were produced in Nigeria in the last two years.

    A breakdown shows that 2.521 trillion standard cubic feet were produced in 2022 representing a decline when compared with 2.744 trillion standard cubic feet produced in 2021 while in 2023, the gas sector recorded a total production of 2.491 trillion standard cubic feet representing only a 1% drop in gas production when compared with the total production recorded in 2022.

    This information and data were contained in the latest oil and gas industry independent report released to the public in Abuja by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

    From the Reports, NEITI further disclosed that a five-year trend analysis (2019 – 2023) of gas production in Nigeria showed that the highest production volume of 3.048 trillion SCF was recorded in 2019 and the lowest of 2.491 trillion standard cubic feet was produced in 2023.

     This represented an 82.73% increase in the country’s production capacity last year.

    On gas utilization, the NEITI Report tracked that a total of 137.361 billion standard cubic feet of gas was used as fuel in 2022 from data provided by only 32 gas companies.

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    On the contribution of the oil and gas industry to employment opportunities. During the period under review, the NEITI findings showed that only six thousand, seven hundred and twenty-eight 6,728 persons were employed in the sector out of which (83%) were men while only 17% were women.  In the same direction, the sector witnessed a steady decline in the sector’s contributions to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    A trend of the contribution of the oil and gas sector to GDP in Nigeria from 7.32% to 4.34% in 2022 and 5.75% to Nigeria’s total GDP of N 202.365 trillion (US$478.06 billion) as of last year 2023. The Report attributed the decline to dwindling oil production arising from insecurity, oil theft and sabotage.

    Speaking, the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Chairman, Hon Ikenga Ugochinyere announced that a private member bill to amend the NEITI Act 2007 to align with the current realities sponsored by him on the floor of the House has already scaled through the first reading. He advised all stakeholders in the NEITI process to partner with his Committee to amend the NEITI law.

    The Civil Society Representative on the NEITI National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) Dr Erisa Danladi used the forum to remind Civil Society and the Media that information and data for the 2022 and 2023 Oil and Gas Industry put in the public domain has provided enough tools for engagements and investigation through constructive advocacy.

    The Executive Secretary, NEITI Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji used the opportunity to thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration for supporting NEITI through his policy of non-interference.

    He welcomed the Administration’s support for the Agency’s Open Data policy and announced that NEITI has embarked upon establishing a Data Center to serve as a one-stop shop for information and data on Nigeria’s extractive sector. Also, the Centre will serve as a warehouse for all extractive industry data in aggregated and disaggregated formats for easy public access by stakeholders, especially civil society, the media, extractive industry companies, government agencies and the legislature.

    Besides, the Centre will also provide data information analysis, training and manpower development in data science education deployment and utilisation required to sustain a robust public knowledge and understanding of Nigeria’s extractive industry.

    The NEITI Executive Secretary further explained that under the scope of the first phase of the project, covered under the 2023 and 2024 budgets respectively the hardware infrastructure with integrated communications facilities has been completed since 17th of August 2025 as against the initial projection of March 2024 as a result of complex challenges, especially in the area of foreign exchange.

     Orji expressed satisfaction with the completion of the hardware infrastructure now in place. He further stated that the next phase of the project involves content development and management. This involves data mining, cleaning, data migration, data storage, integration, data visualization, and analysis. 

    The Executive Secretary also added that the next phase would require “development, design, and deployment of suitable software applications requisite skills and manpower including training and retraining of staff. There is also the need for the provision of other requirements not covered by the earlier scope of the Data Center Project. This includes a steady power supply which the current public power supply situation cannot guarantee.

     Orji gave an assurance that working under the leadership of our Board, the National Stakeholders Working Group, all these challenges will be addressed and this will put the Data Center into optimal use as soon as possible.

    Dr Orji described most encouraging the growing interest in the project which he described as innovative and the first by any EITI-implementing country in the world.  Already, NEITI is in talks with interested development partners such as the European Union, some Embassies, and High Commissions who have expressed interest in offering technical assistance to NEITI.

  • Ola Olukoyede: Sailing through EFCC storm

    Ola Olukoyede: Sailing through EFCC storm

    • By Shina Phillips

    The establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, by an Act of the National Assembly on 12th December 2002 and subsequent amendment in 2004 remains Nigeria’s boldest and most significant step towards achieving a graft-free society.

    However, notwithstanding this move, corruption continues to afflict the country like a malignant tumour requiring more than a simple surgical operation to stop it growth. It should be noted that beside the fact that the creation of the Commission had been an expedient necessity for the nation, it was also partly in response to pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Money Laundering, also more commonly known by its French name, Grouped’action financière (GAFI) which had listed Nigeria as one of its Non- Cooperative Countries and Territories.

     In 2006, shortly after the operation of the Commission kicked off, FATF removed Nigeria from the list. The coming of the EFCC was indeed a relieving breather. Corruption has been a major national headache since  independence. In 2012, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, a former Education Minister and a former World Bank Vice President for Africa, reported that Nigeria had lost up to $400 billion of her revenue to corruption since 1960.

    This amount could have conveniently paid off the nation’s debt to the Paris Club (which was eventually paid off in October 2005) and provided needed infrastructure to accelerate the country’s progress towards industrialization and self-sufficiency.

    The EFCC began with a bang. Its pioneer Chairman, Mallam Nuru Ribadu, a senior police officer, moved swiftly against many hitherto invincible corruption kingpins who had been on a free reign on the scene. Many of them were arrested, tried and successfully convicted.

    Backed by the media and encouraged by the political will of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, the EFCC, made substantial progress against corruption and corrupt government officials and individuals.

    Expectedly and most significantly, there have been criticisms against the Commission’s use of the media to try suspects even before they were arraigned in court. However, the media attention it created and enjoyed had substantial positive effect on the country’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

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    In 2014, Transparency International, an international association set up to combat global corruption, ranked Nigeria 136, up from 144 in 2013. In 2020, the country’s ranking has climbed to 149 signalling that in spite of the tireless and relentless activities of the EFCC, the country needed a new approach in the fight against financial and economic crimes.

    Over the years, the choice of an Executive Chairman to lead the anti-graft agency has attracted national attention because of its consequences. First, the choice signals the intention and determination of the political administration in power and secondly because the Executive Chairman is the arrowhead of the agency’s anti-corruption drive. It is in the light of this that Barrister Ola Olukayode’s appointment becomes most significant because of its consequence on the fight against corruption.

    Barrister Ola Olukoyede’s Appointment Ola Olukoyede emerged the fifth Executive Chairman of the EFCC following his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 12

    October 2023. He becomes the first person from the southern part of Nigeria to serve as Executive Chairman of the Commission. Also of note is that he is the first Executive Chairman of the EFCC without a Police Background or without a cadet training from the Commission – AIG Mallam Nuhu Ribadu (rtd – 2003-2007), AIG Farida Waziri (rtd – 2008-2011), DIG Ibrahim Lamorde (rtd – 2012-2015) and AIG Ibrahim Magu (rtd – 2015 – 2012) served the Commission as  serving police officers except AIG Farida who was already retired before her appointment. Olukoyede’s immediate predecessor,

    Abdulrasheed Bawa (2021-2023) was the first cadet-trained officer of the Commission to be appointed Executive Chairman.

    Ola Olukoyede is eminently qualified to lead the Commission. He has 22 years’ experience in law practice, compliance management, corporate intelligence and fraud management.

    Before joining the EFCC as Secretary of the Commission in 2018, he had worked as a lawyer at the law firm of former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. He is an alumnus of the Lagos State University; University of Lagos; Institute of Arbitration ICC—Paris, France and the University of Harvard (Kennedy School of Executive Education) and a member of the Fraud Advisory Panel (UK). Olukoyede is also a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

    Sailing Through the Storm

    Since assuming office, the Chairman has expectedly and unsurprisingly been in the eye of the storm. Anti-graft is always a difficult and delicate issue in any terrain. There is a burden of expectation that comes with occupying the position. He will be

    hated by the corrupt and treated with suspicion by many. The Chairman is always overburdened with a load of expectations. His first unspoken responsibility is to prove he is not an appendage of the Presidency. The political class including members of the ruling party expect to be treated with kid cloves. People expect him to be brutal in his approach by hounding suspects into detention without respect for the rule of law. These issues are typical with the position of the nation’s head of its antigraft agency.

    Raids of Yahoo Boys Hideouts

    Over the years, one of EFCC’s major focus in the anti-graft war is the menace of online scammers. It was therefore not surprising when the Commission raided some hotels in Akure and Lagos accommodating suspected ‘Ýahoo Boys’ in June 2024.

     Nigerians have a culture of hard work and integrity. There are however a small set of people who have entrenched themselves in online scams, popularly called ‘Yahoo Yahoo.’ The phenomenon is so concerning that some Nigerians with shady characters have been arrested and are serving prison terms in foreign countries.

    Additionally, the average Nigerian traveller is wrongly profiled leading to embarrassing treatments in the hands of immigration officers and other law enforcement agents. The increase in the number of these cases has been a source of worry to all Nigerians. The initial raids on the hideouts of the ‘boys’ were greeted with a lot of criticisms, some of these very well justified. Claims of operatives’ high handedness resulting in injuries to innocent citizens and damage to properties of hotel management have probably slowed down these raids. We expected in strategy rather a slowdown of the onslaught against online criminals.

    Putting Religious Leaders on the Spot

    On Friday 14th July 2024, Olukoyede, an RCCG pastor himself, at a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) leadership conference in Lagos revealed that his organisation recently recovered ‘many millions from a religious organisation’. Earlier in

    January 2024, the Commission claimed it uncovered a religious sect laundering money for terrorists in Nigeria. The Chairman has received media attacks for daring to call out religious leaders. Well-meaning Nigerians must stand with the Commission if the country is determined to combat corruption. Graft is an evil which affects us all and any fight against the menace must be embraced by all.

    Yahaya Bello Case

    This is the first high profile case and probably the toughest test the Olukoyede will face as Chairman of the Commission. Incidentally, this is arguably the first time the Commission will be dealing with a former Governor who has refused to honour the invitation of the Commission. The issue has been dragged for months, weeks and days on end.

     On the 24 April 2024, Olukoyede vows to resign if he does not bring the former Governor to book. After declaring the former wanted and after several weeks of hide-and-seek between operatives of the Commission and Yahaya Bello, the later claimed to have ‘visited’ the EFCC head office on 18 September 2024. In a counter claim, the Commission stated that the former Governor remained a wanted person. The Commission will need to prove beyond doubt that it will not protect any sacred cow in the fight against corruption in the country.

    Going forward, while the Chairman will need to up his efforts in the fight against corruption, he will also need the understanding and support of the media and all Nigerians. Corruption affects us in ways we cannot imagine. In spite of the prospect of economic prosperity that the nation can achieve, corruption will keep the nation down and hinder the reforms of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

    Subsequently, we will be highlighting the place of media sensitization and patriotism in our collective fight against corruption.

    It is of great importance that all Nigerians rally round the Chairman and the Commission so we can win the fight against corruption.

    •Phillips, a Security Consultant writes from Abuja.

  • EFCC gets kudos for renewed battle

    EFCC gets kudos for renewed battle

    Vanguard Credible Representation (VCR) has hailed Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) for its renewed commitment to fight corruption.

     EFCC arrested and begun investigating former Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, filed fresh charges against former Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, and others.

     A statement by Head of Mission, Onche Ugbabe, yesterday,  noted EFCC has again proved it is poised to battle corruption. Describing the commission’s commitment, and contributions of Nigerians as worthy, Ugbabe noted EFCC is taken right steps.

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     The statement read: “We commend Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for its vigour in its anti-corruption mandate.

    The efforts will not only pave the way for more collaborations and support but will also enhance image of the commission.

      “We again ask Yahaya Bello to submit himself to the commission and keep his date in court.

     The commission should also focus on oil and other sectors as it is doing on the states.”

     It restated its promise to stand behind governments, EFCC, ICPC, NFIU, security agencies and anti-corruption agencies and units in bringing to birth a new and prosperous Nigeria.

  • Yahaya Bello and unending EFCC saga

    Yahaya Bello and unending EFCC saga

    Last week, Kogi State’s incredibly ingratiating House of Assembly weighed in on the running saga between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and former governor Yahaya Bello. Even for the most servile of Houses of Assembly, the language deployed by the Kogi State legislature was excessive, unflattering, demeaning and provocative. The lawmakers alleged that the ordeal faced by Mr Bello amounted to persecution. Worse, they also asserted, a plot to assassinate the governor, Usman Ododo, and former governor was afoot. Not satisfied with that unique hyperbole, the lawmakers then went ahead to equate the attack on the former governor with an attack on the entire Kogi people. In their haste and immoderacy, the lawmakers did not query what their governor was doing escorting the former governor to the EFCC office, obstructing justice, or shielding him from the law.

    Nigeria’s Houses of Assembly were once worth their weight in gold, possessing an inspiring capacity to hold the feet of governors to the fire. But as years go by, they lost their luster and gradually and inexorably became lapdogs to governors, with some Speakers even representing governors at public functions. Since the advent of the Fourth Republic, the Kogi legislature has been unable to make a name for itself, and has lacked the courage to stand up to virtually all the governors. Indeed, its undistinguishedness and legislative indolence, not to talk of its second-rate principal officers, diminish it in the esteem of Nigerians and Kogites, and make it incomparable to any fair and competent House of Assembly around. Too much farce is at play in the Kogi saga. It, therefore, makes it difficult to weigh whether the Kogi lawmakers were not luxuriating in the same farce, and issuing statements they very well knew to be both farcical and fallacious.

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    Of what use is a former governor described as larcenous by the EFCC to anyone dead? The Kogi lawmakers probably know they exaggerated their view on the former governor. They know he is not been persecuted, and they know no one, let alone the EFCC, wants to assassinate a former governor they would like to see humiliated in the courts for the punishment he inflicted on the state when he was in office, and the unrelenting tyranny he unfurled upon the state for eight undistinguished years. What gave the Kogi Assembly the liberty to give free rein to their appalling imagination is the incomprehensible slothfulness of the EFCC in arresting and prosecuting Mr Bello. They probably assumed the former governor had a sense of shame, and was incapable of enacting incalculable farce. Shortly after the EFCC first trained their guns on him, he produced a string of magical administrative and legal ploys to thwart the agency. When there was nothing left in his magic bag, he orchestrated another round of tricks to foil his arrest and prosecution. It was clear two Wednesdays ago that Mr Bello simply put up an act, together with Governor Ododo, to deceive the country. He had no interest in being taken in to custody, not to talk of trial. But he had accomplices. The EFCC must not assume that the public cannot read the chicanery. They ow the public to come clean on what transpired at its offices when the current and former Kogi governors strolled in to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja and left moments later, feigning compliance with the law. Nigerians await an explanation.

    Last week, Barometer had puzzled over what was clearly a farcical drama between the EFCC and Mr Bello. Said this column: “If it was true that Mr Bello was ready to turn himself in, and had indeed, according to his story, turned himself in, why would he resist arrest a few hours later, assuming the EFCC unprofessionally changed its mind? Shakespeare would be flummoxed. The former Kogi governor had spent tons of documents and arguments in self-exculpation. If he was persuaded of his innocence, and there were no grey areas in his stories, surely he would not be opposed to proving it to the EFCC officials, even if they were dimwitted investigators. After all, regardless of how many days they keep him, and notwithstanding how many years he carefully curated his image as a whiz-kid politician, the matter would still end in court, where he would have all the latitude and lawyers to establish his innocence.

    “The bigger puzzle in all the EFCC/Bello drama is the involvement of Mr Ododo in the appalling farce. It is true that he is beholden to Mr Bello. It is also true that the governor’s unique personality triggers considerable genuflection before his benefactor, a fact he proved when, at his inauguration as governor last January, he prostrated before a beaming Mr Bello. He seems perfectly like one who would eternally be grateful for small acts of kindness. After all, the former governor had shown him great kindness by making him governor which he did little to merit either by dint of intellect or by demonstration of character. The question Mr Ododo has, however, refused to contemplate or answer is why his self-abnegation must involve willfully frustrating the constitution and obstructing justice. He has immunity, but he seems irrationally to be conferring a part of his immunity on the former governor who no longer has immunity. Sadly, Mr Ododo appears to be lending the image of the entire State to the service of a poltroon, a man who feigned overweening courage as governor, and even the dashing bravado of youth, but is at bottom no match for his own posturing.

    “If Mr Ododo, as a former auditor-general for local governments in Kogi State, was not involved in any financial shenanigans with his predecessor, it is time he dissociated from Mr Bello and struck a new path for himself. His repeated abnegations, not to say his open participation in his predecessor’s farcical dramas, need to come to an end. Had he not been governor, it would have been okay for him to continue groveling before anyone that catches his fancy. There is nothing in the constitution, not to talk of even his private principles and morality, should he have both, that encourages him to obstruct justice. It is tragic that Nigerian security agents are also ridiculing themselves before the world by protecting a fugitive under the guise of protecting the governor, an overlap encouraged by Mr Ododo himself. If the governor chooses not to respect the constitution, the heads of the security agents shielding Mr Bello should be directed forthwith to give him up for the law to take its course. Replicating farces in Kano, Rivers, Edo and Kogi should not become the hallmark of the Fourth Republic.”

    In the name of God, the federal government must bring the nonsense playing out in Kogi and Abuja over the Bello/EFCC saga to an end. Kogi governor Ododo may have immunity, but the Government House does not. The federal government does not need to be advised how to pick up a fugitive hiding in plain sight. Enough of the ridicule.

  • N27B LG fund: EFCC arrests ex-gov for alleged diversion

    N27B LG fund: EFCC arrests ex-gov for alleged diversion

    • Files 15 charges against him, Permanent Secretary

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the immediate past governor of Taraba State, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku, for allegedly diverting more than N27 billion belonging to local governments.

    Ishaku will face trial with a one-time Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero.

    The EFCC has already filed 15 charges against the two men in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

    Ishaku has been in EFCC custody for 72 hours.

    It was not clear at press time when precisely they might be arraigned by the anti-graft agency.

    However, a top source said the EFCC was awaiting a date for their arraignment from the court.

    According to the charges prepared against the suspects and sighted by The Nation, they allegedly tampered with 2.5% contingency funds belonging to the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State.

    Some of the charges are as follows:

    “That you Darius Dickson Ishaku whilst being the Governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between 25th August, 2015 and 21st March, 2016 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N1, 010, 000, 000, which sum formed part of the 2.5% contingency funds belonging to Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly diverted the said sum to your own use and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria and punishable under the same section.

    “That you Darius Dickson Ishaku whilst being the Governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between 25th August, 2015 and 21st  March, 2016 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly misappropriated certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N1, 010, 000, 000 (One Billion and Ten Million Naira), which sum formed part of the 2.5% contingency fund belonging to Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State and you.

    “That you Darius Dickson Ishaku whilst being the Governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between July, 2015 and May, 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N1, 138, 082, 097.71 (One Billion, One Hundred and Thirty-Eight Million, Eighty-Two Thousand, Ninety-Seven Naira, Seventy-One Kobo), which sum formed part of the 2.5% contingency fund belonging to Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly diverted the said sum to your own use and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under the same section.

    “That you Darius Dickson Ishaku whilst being the Governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero  whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between July, 2015 and May, 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly misappropriated certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N1, 138, 082, 097.71, which sum formed part of the 2.5% contingency fund belonging to Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State and you hereby committed an offence contrary to section 308 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under section 309 of the same Act.

    “That you Darius Dickson Ishaku whilst being the Governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero  whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between 19th July, 2019 and 5th February, 2021 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N3,348,942,411.15 (Three Billion, Three Hundred and Forty Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Forty Two Thousand, Four Hundred and Eleven Naira, Fifteen Kobo), which sum formed part of the funds belonging to Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State and Local Government Councils in Taraba State, and you thereby committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly diverted the said sum to your own use and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under the same section.

    “That you Darius Dickson Ishaku whilst being the Governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between 19th July, 2019 and 5th February, 2021 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum  of N639,435,000.00 (Six Hundred and Thirty-Nine Million, Four Hundred and Thirty-Five Thousand Naira), which sum formed part of the funds belonging to Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State and Local Government Councils in Taraba State, and you thereby committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly diverted the said sum to your own use and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under the same section.”

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    The EFCC was specific on how the ex-governor and the erstwhile Permanent Secretary allegedly diverted the funds meant for local government areas in the state, including Donga, Gassol and Gashaka Councils.

    In one instance, N993.1million meant for local governments in the state could not be accounted for.

    Other charges against the former governor and the former permanent secretary include the following:

    “That you Darius Dickson Ishaku whilst being the Governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between 30th September, 2016 and 23rd February, 2021 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N993,102,053.63 (Nine Hundred and Ninety-Three Million, One Hundred and Two Thousand, Fifty-Three Naira and Sixty-Three Kobo), which sum formed part of the funds belonging to Taraba State Government and Local Government Councils in Taraba State.

    “That you Darius Dickson Ishaku whilst being the Governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between 6th January, 2019 and 29th April, 2021 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N193, 030, 000 (One Hundred and Ninety Three Million, Thirty Thousand Naira), which sum formed part of the fund belonging to Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State and Donga Local Government Council in Taraba State committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly diverted the said sum to your own use and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under the same section.

    “That you Darius Dickson Ishaku whilst being the Governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between 6th January, 2619 and 28th April, 2024 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N650, 686, 369.99 (Six Hundred and Fifty Million, Six Hundred and Eighty-Six Thousand, Three Hundred and Sixty-Nine Naira, Ninety-Nine Kobo}, which sum formed part of the funds belonging to the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State and Gassol Local Government Council committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you – dishonestly diverted the said sum to your own use and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under the same section.”

    Ishaku is the second Taraba State former Governor to face trial for corrupt practices.

    A former Governor of Taraba State, Rev. Jolly Nyame was on May 30, 2018 jailed for 14 years by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

    Although the sentence was reduced to 12 years by the Supreme Court, he later benefitted from a state pardon.

    Ishaku is the first former governor to face trial for alleged diversion of local government funds.

    Following persistent complaints by stakeholders about the handling of local government funds by the state governors, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approached the Supreme Court on the financial autonomy of the councils as guaranteed by 1999 Constitution (As amended).

    It sought direct allocation of funds from the Federation Account to all the councils.

    In a landmark judgement on the issue on July 11, 2024, the apex court affirmed the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Councils.

    The seven-member panel, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, unanimously upheld the application of the Federal Government to reinforce the independence of local governments in the country.

    The court also rejected the position of state governments to put caretaker committees in charge of local governments instead of democratically elected local government councils.

    Justice Emmanuel Agim, who delivered the lead judgement, held that the local governments should receive their allocations directly from the Accountant-General of the Federation immediately.

    He described as illegal and unconstitutional the action of the governors in receiving and withholding  funds allocated to local governments.

    He said: “It is the position of this court that the federation can pay local governments allocations directly to the local governments or through the states. In this case, since paying them through the states has not worked, justice demands that local government allocations from the federation account should henceforth be paid directly to the local governments.”

    He added: “The amount standing to the credit of local government councils must be paid by the federation to the local government councils and not by any other person or body.”

    The Supreme Court proceeded to grant an injunction restraining the states from collecting funds belonging to the local government councils when no democratically elected local government councils are in place and also “an order that henceforth no state government should be paid monies standing to the credit of the local government councils” as well as “an order for immediate enforcement and compliance with these orders by the state governments and successive governments henceforth.”