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Tag: EFCC

  • Ricky Tarfa’s ill health stalls trial

    The trial of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rickey Tarfa, for alleged perversion of the course of justice before an Igbosere High Court was on Tuesday stalled due to his ill health.

    Tarfa is standing trial on a 26-count charge bordering on offering monetary gratification to two judges of the Federal High Court, Justices Hyeladzira Nganjiwa and Mohammed Yunusa before Justify Adedayo Akintoye.

    During resumed proceeding on Tuesday, Tarfa’s counsel, Mr Jelili Owonikoko (SAN), told the court that the defendant was in the court’s premises but could not enter the courtroom due to the severity of his illness.

    Owonikoko told the court that they had filed a medical recommendation notifying the court for medical leave to be given to the defendant for a period of three months to enable him recuperate.

    He said that the defendant was in a vehicle inside the court premises.

    At this stage, the prosecuting counsel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Usman Buhari and the court’s registrar all went out to the vehicle to see the defendant.

    When they came back, the EFCC prosecutor, Buhari who stood in for Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that they saw the defendant in the vehicle.

    Read Also: Alleged bribery: Court approves Rickey Tarfa’s medical trip

    He also said that the medical report was served on them.

    Buhari said he had no objection for the request of the defendant for time to recuperate.

    The trial judge, Justice Akintoye, advised that the defendant must not travel outside the country without court’s knowledge.

    She adjourned the case until May 8 and 9 for continuation of trial.

    It would be recalled that on the last adjourned date, March 11, the case did not go on because the judge went for official duty.

    Tarfa’s trial was also stalled on January 21due to his absence in court.

    Tarfa’s counsel, Owonikoko (SAN), had told the court that his client traveled outside the country for medical treatment.

    He said the condition of his client was so bad that he had made to travel for surgical operations.

    The EFCC counsel confirmed to the court that he received the medical report and a letter from the defendant requesting for vacation of trial date to further date.

    He, however, said that the defendant should have come to court to apply for leave to travel before embarking on such a trip.

    EFCC had in the charge claimed that between June 27, 2012 and January 8, 2016, Tarfa paid a total of N5.3 million in several tranches into Justice Nganjiwa’s account.

    He was also accused of paying into Justice Yunusa’s account, a total of N800,000 in three tranches between Feb. 9 and November 30, 2015.

    The SAN was equally accused of age falsification.

    Upon his arraignment on March 9, 2016 and subsequent re-arraignment on November 16, 2016, Tarfa pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail on self-recognizance.

    The EFCC had since closed its case.

    Tarfa, also opened his defence after the court dismissed the no-case submission he filed.

    Tarfa’s first witness, Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR)of the Federal High Court in Lagos, Mr Bello Okandeji, was yet to finish his cross-examination.

  • EFCC arraigns suspected visa racketeer

    A suspected visas racketeer, Yomi Samson, was on Monday, arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdumalik of the Federal High Court 2, Ibadan, on a three-count charge bordering on possession of fake documents, obtaining money under false pretence and misleading an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Samson (aka Becky Wellington), was dragged before the court by officers of the Ibadan Zonal office of the commission, after interrogating him, based on a petition from one of his victims.

    Part of the charge against him as contained in the document before the court reads: “That you Yomi Samson (a.k.a Becky Wellinghton, a.k.a Amanda Luccero) sometimes in 2019, at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to mislead, knowingly made false statement, wherein you lied to an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission about your true age and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 39(2) (a) and punishable under Section 39 (2) (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, 2004.”

    READ ALSO: EFCC arraigns suspected Internet fraudster

    Another count reads: “That you Yomi Samson (a.k.a Becky Wellinghton, a.k.a Amanda Luccero) sometimes in 2019, at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained a total sum of N45,000 (Forty-Five Thousand Naira) from one Chris when you falsely represented to him that the money was for Visa Clarifications, and other pretences, which representations you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.

    ”Though, he pleaded not guilty to the charges, the defendant later opted to enter into a plea bargain with the EFCC, prompting his lawyer, Kehinde Olawumi, to ask for a date to come for the final decision, rather than go for full trial.

  • Ex-Adamawa Investment Coy MD alleges moves to kidnap him

    A Yola resident and owner of a block of 21 flats in Karu, near Abuja, has cried out that property racketeers are stalking him, apparently to kidnap and force him to sign off the Karu property.

    Malam Abubakar Zira who said he built the Karu block between 2000 and 2003, appealed to security agents to delay no further in addressing his situation.

    He said, “Everyday I have to change  where I sleep, because they are desperately after me. I have found them trailing me in many places. I am not afraid to die but I don’t think that’s what they want. They want to kidnap me and force me to sign a document to denounce my property.”

    Zira who spoke to newsmen in Yola concerning the property, said the battle to keep it had been a long one. “I discovered that some people had cloned or forged title documents to my property situated at Plot MF20 at Karu village extension. They even placed a banner on it in April 2017,” he said.

    He added that he had since then got his lawyers on two occasions to write Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) to place a caveat on the property but that AGIS had refused to do so.

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    “Meanwhile, I have been receiving calls from several people threatening me,” he said, following which he said he petitioned the FCT Minister, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Security Service and the acting chairman of the EFCC.

    He lamented that the petition had not yielded expected result, as the threatening calls to his phone line had continued and attempts had actually been made to abduct him.

    Recalling the incidents, the 69-year-old Abubakar Zira who retired as the managing director of Adamawa State Investment Company, said, “On 16th December 2018, my house (in Yola) was besieged by some people who came to kidnap me on my way to the mosque at 4.45 am. I managed to escape and

    I reported this to the Adamawa State Police Command, the DSS, Brigade Commander, 23 Brigade Yola and the NSCDC and I had peace for a while.

    “On 24th February 2019, another attempt to kidnap me was made while I was returning from Michika after casting my vote, which I reported to the above security agencies and the AIG Zone 3.”

    He expressed the regret that “after making a detailed petition to the Minister of the FCT, IGP, DS DSS, and acting chairman of EFCC about six months now, it is clear that no action has been taken to address my complaint, rather the people who are interested in confiscating my property are left to chase and trail me.”

    Wondering why even AGIS would not act on requests made on his behalf by his lawyers, Abubakara Zira said he was disturbed that he had been made a fugitive for reason that he had been trying to protect a property that he acquired legitimately.

  • EFCC arraigns 4 for alleged N19m fraud in Sokoto

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday, arraigned four persons before the Federal High Court in Sokoto, for alleged advance fee fraud to the tune of N19 million.

    The accused persons are: Jabir Ladan, Sani Musa, Kabir Musa and Aliyu Muhammad, while Hassan Sadiq, an accomplice, is still at large.

    The accused persons, all residents of Sokoto metropolis. are facing a nine-count charge, which contravened section 8 subsection ‘A’ of Advance Fee Fraud and other frauds related offences Act.

    According to the charge sheet, the accused, between July to Sept. 2018, on different occasions, defrauded one Abdulrazak Muratala of the said amount.

    The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Muhammad Gambo, said they collected the amounts on the pretext of facilitating the release of Muratala’s goods seized by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

    However, when the charges were read, the accused persons pleaded not guilty, and the prosecution applied for adjournment to commence trial and present witnesses.

    The defence counsel, Mr Yahaya Gwazawa did not object to the adjournment, but applied for bail of the accused persons.

    The trial judge, Justice Saleh Idrissa, ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to March 18, for hearing of the bail application.

  • EFCC arraigns 4 for alleged N19m fraud in Sokoto

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday, arraigned four persons before the Federal High Court in Sokoto, for alleged advance fee fraud to the tune of N19 million.

    The accused persons are: Jabir Ladan, Sani Musa, Kabir Musa and Aliyu Muhammad, while Hassan Sadiq, an accomplice, is still at large.

    The accused persons, all residents of Sokoto metropolis. are facing a nine- count charge, which contravened section 8 sub section ‘A’ of Advance Fee Fraud and other frauds related offences Act.

    According to the charge sheet, the accused, between July to Sept. 2018, on different occasions, defrauded one Abdulrazak Muratala of the said amount.

    The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Muhammad Gambo, said they collected the amounts on the pretext of facilitating the release of Muratala’s goods seized by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

    However, when the charges were read, the accused persons pleaded not guilty, and the prosecution applied for adjournment to commence trial and present witnesses.

    The defence counsel, Mr Yahaya Gwazawa did not object to the adjournment, but applied for bail of the accused persons.

    The trial judge, Justice Saleh Idrissa, ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to March 18, for hearing of the bail application.

  • Alleged misappropriation: Court admits more documents in evidence against Okupe

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday at the Federal High Court Abuja submitted more documents in evidence against Doyin Okupe, which were admitted by the court.

    Okupe, a former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, is being prosecuted by EFCC on a 59-count charge for allegedly receiving money from the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, and rendering no services.

    At the resumed trial, Mr. Hassan Saidu, the third prosecution witness who was led in evidence by Mr. Ibrahim Audu, submitted documents including account opening package for an account in Zenith Bank, a statement made by Okupe and other documents.

    Saidu told the court that following intelligence report regarding misappropriation by Okupe, he was invited to the EFCC office and interviewed.

    “We invited him in June 2016 to our office and interviewed him in respect of the payments he received from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) that was tagged “special services”.

    READ ALSO: Fed Govt arraigns Doyin Okupe over alleged N702m fraud

    Okupe said the money he received; N50 million, N35 million, N15 million and subsequent N10 million severally was used to set up his office, pay staff salaries and pay for a programme on NTA called insight,  Saidu told the court.

    ”When we asked him where the instructions that led to the payment of all the monies came from, he claimed that there was a request that was approved by the former president to the NSA to effect the payment. ”

    The witness, however, added that Okupe could not produce evidence of the said request.

    Saidu also told the court that upon further investigations, the agency could not link any disbursement to payment of staff salaries.

    He also said that the only receipt Okupe could produce when asked for receipts of all the things he claimed he used the money for was one of N120,000 paid to Infinity Security Services.

    The trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu adjourned the matter until April 1 for the defence team to cross examine the witness.

    Okupe was arraigned alongside two companies, Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd, over allegations of misappropriation of funds amounting to over N240 million received from the former NSA.

    The money is said to be part funds set aside during the Jonathan administration to purchase arms at the heat of the Boko Haram insurgency.

    NAN

  • EFCC arraigns suspected Internet fraudster

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned Mr. Ajayi Temitope Charles at a Kwara State High Court, Ilorin, for alleged Internet fraud.

    He was arraigned on a five-count charge.

    The accused, who pleaded not guilty, was allegedly caught with documents with intent to defraud the public.

    The first count said the accused, also known as

    Teresa Simon, on February 28, in Ilorin, had in his possession documents in his gmail account containing false pretence with intent to defraud, and thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 6 and 8 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences.

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    In the second and third counts, the accused was said to have in his possession, a document titled: “Hangout with Rodney Dean” and “Hangout with Paul Thompson”.

    He allegedly printed out the document from his gmail account.

    Justice M. Abdulgafar refused to grant the accused person bail. He ordered that he should be remanded in prison custody and adjourned till March 21.

  • Akingbola’s lawyer to court: EFCC’s witness lied

    Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), counsel for defunct Intercontinental Bank Managing Director Dr Erastus Akingbola, Wednesday accused a prosecution witness, Abdulraheem Jimoh, of “deceiving the court”.

    He said the witness claimed to have obtained a Master’s Degree when he did not.

    Jimoh was testifying in Akingbola’s trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    He had on Tuesday testified that Akingbola repaid his companies’ debt using the bank’s N10billion.

    Led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Jimoh, who was Intercontinental Bank’s Chief Inspector, said Wednesday: “These payments were used to settle the indebtedness of the companies in which Dr Akingbola and his wife had majority shareholding.”

    He said there were no loans granted to the companies.

    “I carried out the investigation in my capacity as chief inspector of the bank. I submitted my report to the management, which was forwarded to the EFCC.

    “In all the transactions, they involved companies which Dr Akingbola and his wife were beneficial owners,” he said.

    Under cross-examination, Olanipekun asked Jimoh about his academic qualifications.

    The witness said he obtained his first degree from the Ahmadu Bello University in 1982.

    He said he obtained additional qualifications, but did not mention a Master’s Degree.

    Olanipekun alleged that Jimoh had earlier claimed before an Ikeja High Court (where Akingbola was first tried) that he had a Master’s degree.

    “We will expose you for who you are. You told another court that you had a Master’s Degree when you do not. You are here to mislead this court as you did previously in Ikeja,” Olanipekun said.

    The witness said he enrolled for the Master’s programme, but could not conclude it because he did not complete the projects.

    Olanipekun said: “Your course became abridged because of examination malpractices for which you were involved.”

    The witness said: “No sir”, adding that he stated he had a Master’s degree because he had “a statement of attendance”.

    Before the trial commenced yesterday, EFCC re-arraigned Akingbola on an amended charge, which was reduced from 26 to 22 counts. He pleaded not guilty.

    Jacobs said the counts “were reduced for easy understanding,” but Olanipekun countered him by saying that “a lot of things were brought into” the amended charge.

    The case was first handled by Justice Charles Archibong, who struck out the charge for lack of diligent prosecution. EFCC appealed.

    Last May, the Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Appeal’s decision overruling Justice Archibong and directing Akingbola to face trial in the 10-year-old case.

    The prosecution alleged that Akingbola, between November 2007 and July 2008, approved a credit facility of N8billion each to Soo-Kok Holding Limited, Tofa General Enterprises, Cinca Nigeria Limited; Harmony Trust and Investment Limited and Stanzus Investment Limited.

    EFCC said the illegal transactions were carried out in contravention of “accepted practice or Intercontinental Bank Plc’s regulations.”

    It said Akingbola violated Section 15(1)(a)(i) of the Failed Banks (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Malpractices in Banks Act, Cap F2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and was liable to be punished under Section 16(1)(a) of the same Act.

    The prosecution alleged that under Akingbola’s watch, Intercontinental Bank had N87.6billion non-performing credit burden.

    It said Akingbola failed to take all reasonable steps to ensure compliance with the requirement to maintain, at all times, the minimum capital adequacy ratio specified by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in compliance with Section 13(1) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, Cap B3 Laws of the Federation 2004.

    Trial continues Thursday.

  • EFCC, Patience Jonathan get new date in forfeiture case

    Hearing was stalled Wednesday in a forfeiture case by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun had adjourned for parties to give oral evidence on the source of $8.4 million and N7.4 billion allegedly belonging to Mrs. Jonathan, which EFCC is praying the court to order its final forfeiture.

    But, EFCC’s lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo was said to have written the court for an adjournment as he was to appear before the National Judicial Council (NJC) in another matter.

    The Council’s committees investigating petitions against suspended Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen and Acting Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad were said to have begun sitting on Monday.

    Justice Olatoregun had on February 28 declined to grant EFCC’s application for the sums’ final forfeiture but directed parties to give oral evidence to justify ownership.

    She said there were conflicting depositions in the affidavits before her, adding that oral evidence was needed to clear them up.

    Mrs. Jonathan, Globus Integrated Services Ltd, Finchley Top Homes Ltd., Am-Pm Global Network Ltd, Pagmat Oil and Gas Ltd, Magel Resort Ltd and Esther Oba are the respondents.

    Read Also: Court hears evidence on final forfeiture suit against Patience Jonathan April 12

    Among the temporarily forfeited sums are N1.085billion and N226.3million found in Finchley’s Ecobank account and N39.4million found in its Diamond Bank account, as well as N55.9million found in Pagmat Oil and Gas’ Diamond Bank account, among others.

    Mrs Jonathan’s lawyers, including Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had argued that the funds included donations and legitimate earnings by the companies linked to her.

    But, EFCC said the money was “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity”.

    The anti-graft agency said the companies were not into “any legitimate income-yielding business venture” and did not pay tax, but were incorporated for the purpose of warehousing proceeds of unlawful activities for the former First Lady.

    Justice Olatoregun fixed April 12 for hearing.

  • UPDATED: Witness’ absence stalls Akala’s N11.5b fraud trial

    The trial of the former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Christopher Alao-Akala, and two others for alleged fraud was on Wednesday, adjourned to May 2, 2019 due to absence of the prosecution witness who was to give evidence in support of the 11-count charge preferred against the accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Justice Olalekan Owolabi of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan, granted the EFCC’s request after its counsel, Dr. Ben Ubi, told the court that the second witness, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, who is also the current head operations in the commission’s Port Harcourt zonal office, was unable to make it to the court.

    The former governor is standing trial alongside the commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters during his tenure, Hosea Agboola and an Ibadan-based businessman, Femi Babalola.

    The charge against them borders on conspiracy, awarding a contract without budgetary provision, obtaining by false pretence, acquiring property with money derived from an illegal act and concealing the ownership of such property, among others.

    Among the offences, according to the information on the court papers, was a road contract worth N8.5bn, which Alao-Akala awarded between 2007 and 2009 to Pentagon Engineering Services, Babalola’s company, allegedly without budgetary provision.

    The said contract was executed on behalf of the 33 local governments in the state.

    Also in the charge is the allegation the former governor ordered the supply of drilling machines on behalf of the 33 local governments in the state to the tune of N3.5bn.

    Apart from the allegation of conspiring with Agboola to withdraw N2.9bn from the Oyo State Local Government Joint Account, the anti-graft agency is equally prosecuting the former governor for allegedly illegally acquiring some property on Old Bodija road, off Rotimi Williams road, when he was in office.

    The offences were said to contravene Section 22 (4) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act and Section 1 (18) of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act.

    The case was originally filed in 2011 and has witnessed series of adjournments due to the volume of evidences and witnesses prepared to reinforce the prosecution’s argument.

    Though, the court was to continue with the trial on Wednesday that could not happen since the witness billed for cross-examination was not present.

    Dr. Ubi told the court that the witness was unable to attend the proceeding because he was involved in election duties.

    “My lord the reason our witness is not in court today is because he is involved in the election processes in Rivers State,” he said, praying the court for another date.

    Counsel to the first and third defendants, Hakeem Afolabi (SAN), and his counterpart holding the brief of the second defendant, Richard Ogunwole (SAN), did not oppose the prayer.

    The presiding judge then adjourned the matter to May 2, 2019 for continuation of trial as he ordered the prosecution to make its witnesses available at the next date.