The Nation Newspaper

Tag: EFCC

  • Ex-governor Orji gives N18m, fertiliser, tricycles to constituents

    By The Nation 

    Abia State’s former governor Theodore Orji, who represents Abia Central Senatorial District at the Senate, has given cash and jobs tools to 180 youths in his constituency.

    The youths earlier trained in various areas of agriculture across the country’s best agricultural institutions were empowered with the sum of N100,000 each including some bags of fertilisers, while others got tricycles to enable them fend for themselves.

    Speaking while presenting the cheques in Umuahia, the state capital, Orji said the gesture is aimed at ensuring that the beneficiaries have a decent life.

    Orji said when God blesses someone that the best thing to do is for such a person to reach out and bless others who are in need, stressing that by so doing that the society will be better and the youths will incline less towards crimes.

    The distinguished senator explained that contrary to what people have been saying, “What I have been doing is not to show off but to return to the system the little I have to ensure that the youths have a better life than the one they are currently living”.

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    He said, “As your senator representing you at the senate, I want to assure you of adequate representation which has made me to achieve a lot at the senate in the short time I have been your senator”.

    Orji said that his interest runs beyond his senatorial district, stressing that one or the bills he sponsored was for the federal government to come and take over the Abia State Polytechnic in Aba, “So that the financial burden will be less on the state government”.

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    The senator who enumerated some of his achievements at the senate said they include the motion asking the federal government to provide security along the rail lines to secure life and property of both the corporation and their commuters.

    He said that every academic session that ten students from the six council areas in his senatorial district benefit from his scholarship scheme with the sum of N 100,000 each, “I pledge to continue this scheme so long as I remain in the senate”.

    Orji used the forum to endorse Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and his deputy, Ude Oko-Chukwu for second term as the governor and deputy governor of the state and all others who are in different elective political positions in the state.

    He urged members of his party the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to remain faithful, stressing that they are not going to disappoint them but urged them to go all out and obtain their PVCs to enable them return their candidates back to office come 2019.

    Earlier in his speech the chairman of the empowerment committee Chidiebere Nwoke said that financial grants (N100,000 each) will be given to those who have been trained in various agricultural disciplines to enable them take off.

    Nwoke said that 30 tricycles would be given out to beneficiaries while the young farmers will also be given bags of fertilizers apart from the sum of N 100,000 each, stressing that the constituency office of Senator Orji is the most vibrant in the country.

    He used the ceremony to call for the endorsement of Orji to go back to the senate come 2019 which the crowd gave their overwhelming voice vote in the affirmative asking him to return to the senate.

  • EFCC to close case in trial of Moro, others for alleged N676m fraud

    THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said it is about concluding its case in the prosecution of former Minister of Interior Abbah Moro and three others being tried for 2014 botched recruitment exercise of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), which resulted in the death of many Nigerians.

    Moro is charged with a former Permanent Secretary in the Interior Ministry, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, an ex-director in the ministry, Felix .O Alayebami and a firm, Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited.

    The defendants are accused of defrauding 675,675 graduate applicants of about N675,675,000 having been made to pay N1,000 each as processing fees for 5,000 job openings.

    When the case came up yesterday, lawyer from the prosecuting agency Mrs. Elizabeth Alabi announced that the prosecution had called nine witnesses and planned to call two more to close its case.

    Mrs. Alabi told the court that the prosecution would not be able to proceed as planned yesterday because its 10th witness, Isah Joshua (an operative of the EFCC), called to informed her that he lost his father late on Tuesday. She sought a fresh date.

    The court also could not hear a motion by Mrs. Daniel-Nwobia for the release of her international passport to enable her travel to the United Kingdom on medical grounds.

    Mrs. Alabi said she was not aware of the motion when Mrs. Daniel-Nwobia’s lawyer, James Odiba, informed the court about the motion and his willingness to move it.

    The trial judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, noted that the motion was not properly served on the EFCC.

    The judge noted that the motion was served on the commission’s Asset Recovery Management Directorate, as against the Legal Department.

    When the judge sought his view, lawyer to Moro, A. T. Kehinde (SAN), said he was served with the motion.

    But, he noted that the appropriate office to serve the prosecution should be at its Legal Department.

    He suggested that since a lawyer was in court for the prosecution, the motion should be served on the lawyer and a date taken for its hearing.

    Other lawyers in the case agreed with the suggestion, following which the judge adjourned to December 4 for continuation of trial.

  • EFCC loses bid to transfer Shekarau’s suit

    A Federal High Court sitting in Kano presided over by Justice Lewis Allagoa yesterday dismissed a motion on notice filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the transfer of a suit involving the former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and two others for alleged N950 million money laundering, for security reasons.

    The prosecuting counsel, J. A. Ojogbane, argued that the move to transfer the suit followed the face-off between Shekarau’s supporters and security agents on the court premises during the first arraignment last June.

    According to Ojogbane, the EFCC operatives narrowly escaped lynching by the rampaging supporters, who caused a stampede on the court premises.

    The lawyer said the anti-graft operatives were held hostage at their office till 8 p.m when Shekarau was released on bail, after fulfilling his bail conditions.

    He said the lives of his witnesses as well as himself were being threatened.

    Ojogbane said this would prevent his witnesses from testifying, hence the need for an urgent transfer of the matter to a more secured location.

    He added: “Considering the traumatic experience we went through during the first arraignment and the series of threats we have received so far, the prosecution is very apprehensive.

    “The three witnesses are also afraid to testify as they are being threatened by unknown persons.

    “Only one of them agreed that his name should be used on the affidavit submitted before the court.”

    But the defence lawyer Sam Ologunorisa (SAN) countered the motion that it was just a ploy by the EFCC to stall the trial.

    According to him, the motion, which was hurriedly filed before the court on October 13 and a copy of which he received last Friday, should not be granted.

    The lawyer insisted that the court had no jurisdiction for such.

    But Justice Allagoa dismissed the motion seeking for transfer of the suit.

    He adjourned the matter till December 3 and 4 for trial.

  • EFCC loses bid to transfer Shekarau’s case

    A Federal High Court sitting in Kano presided over by Justice Lewis Allagoa on Monday dismissed a motion on notice filled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) seeking the transfer of a case involving the former governor of Kano state, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau and two others over alleged N950 million money laundering suit, for fear of insecurity.

    The prosecuting counsel, J.A. Ojogbane argued that, the rationale behind the move to transfer the case, was connected to the breakdown of law and order resulting to a face-off between the supporters of Shekarau and security personnel at the court premises on the first arraignment sometime in June this year.

    According to Ojogbane, the EFCC operatives narrowly escaped lynching by the rampaging supporters who besieged  the court causing stampede and were later held hostage at their head office till 8 p.m on the day till Shekarau was released on bail after fulfilling the bail conditions.

    He also told the court that the lives of his witnesses as well as himself was being threatened, adding that this would prevent his witnesses from testifying.

    He added that, “considering the traumatic experience we went through during the first arraignment, and the series of threat we have received so far, the prosecution is very apprehensive.

    “The three witnesses are also afraid to testify as they are being threatened by unknown persons,” he said adding that, “only one of them agreed that his name should be used on the affidavit submitted before the court.”

    The Defense Counsel, Sam Ologunorisa, SAN, in his argument, countered the motion that it was just a ploy by the EFCC to stall the trial as it appeared they were not ready to continue the case.

    According to him, the motion which was hurriedly filed before the court on the 13th of  October 2018 and which he received a copy on Friday 16th October should not be granted as the court has no jurisdiction for such.

    Ologunorisa pointed out that, in a criminal case, it is not right, fair and proper for the prosecution to dictate, chose a venue or judge to preside over a case.

    He noted that, the affidavit filed is self-contradictory as the first three witnesses on record are all EFCC’s operatives, arguing that the current motion has the name of a one Aliyu Da’u Aliyu as a witness whom he said was never a witness in the case.

    However, the presiding Judge, Justice Allagoa dismissed the motion seeking for case transfer and adjourned the case till 3rd and 4th December for trial.

    Meanwhile, Justice Lewis Allagoa on Monday granted bail to the governorship candidate of Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), Abdulsalam Abdulkareem and Ebere Uchechukwu.

    Abdulkareem and Ebere were being charged by EFCC for nine-count charges bordering on money laundering running into $1.1million.

    The first defendant (AbdulKareem) and second defendant (Ebere) had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

    Counsel to the first defendant, Dr. Hassan Liman (SAN) had filed an application for his client’s bail on personal recognition.

    In his ruling, Justice Allagoa granted the first and second defendants bail to the sum of N100 million each and surety based within the court jurisdiction.

    The case has been adjourned till 29th and 30th of January, 2019.

  • Alleged N1.6bn fraud: EFCC re-arraigns Jonathan’s ex-aide Dudafa

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday re-arraigned former President Goodluck Jonathan’s ex-aide Dr Waripamo-Owei Dudafa for alleged N1.6 billion fraud.

    He was re-arraigned with a banker, Iwejuo Joseph.

    EFCC said they conspired to conceal proceeds of crime amounting to N1.6 billion on June 11, 2013.

    Their re-arraignment followed the prosecution’s amendment of the charge.

    EFCC first arraigned Dudafa and Joseph on June 11, 2016 on a 23-count charge.

    Before the defendants were re-arraigned, Justice Mohammed Idris had dismissed their objections to the amended 22 count charge.

    Dudafa and Joseph pleaded not guilty and were allowed to continue on bail earlier granted them.

    After their re-arraignment, the defence informed the court that they would need to re-call some witnesses.

    EFCC lawyer Mr Rotimi Oyedepo said they were at liberty to recall any of the prosecution witnesses.

    Dudafa’s lawyer Gboyega Oyewole (SAN) had on Thursday urged Justice Idris to strike out the amended charge.

    Arguing a notice of preliminary objection, Oyewole said the amendment would prejudice his client’s case.

    The SAN argued that Justice Idris, who was elevated to the Court of Appeal, lacked jurisdiction to allow the amendment as his fiat only empowered him to conclude part-heard cases.

    He said EFCC filed the amended charge after probably realising that there were loopholes in its case.

    But Oyedepo said the case would not be start de-novo (afresh) because the prosecution would not call any more witnesses.

    Ruling yesterday, Justice Idris held that an amendment was permissible by law at any time before judgment.

    “Section 396(7) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, allows the court to conclude part-heard matters within reasonable time, and I have no doubt that this falls within the ambit of the law.

    “This court is sitting pursuant to a flat, and this fiat is not open-ended, but will expire after its time.

    “The defendants are at liberty to call or recall any witness in the case; in my opinion, a reasonable time is when the time for justice does not wear out against the parties, but is seen to be done,” Justice Idris held.

    The prosecution closed its case on March 16, but the accused opted to make a no-case submission in its defence.

    Justice Idris had dismissed the no-case submission and ordered them to open their defence.

    The defence had closed its case and filed written addresses before the re-arraignment.

    Justice Idris adjourned until Monday for trial.

  • EFCC arrests 24 undergraduates, others over cyber crime

    Operatives of Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested 36 suspected internet fraudsters at 21, Sawmill Road, Awa-Ijebu, Ogun State.

    The commission’s acting Head, Media and Publicity, Mr Tony Orilade, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

    Orilade stated that the suspects, who were between 19 and 37 years of age, included 23 university students, out of which, nine were ladies who allegedly claimed to be girlfriends and or neighbours of some of the suspects.

    He added that one of the suspects was from another university, while 12 others were not students.

    He stated that EFCC got wind of their activities through intelligence reports alleging that the suspected fraudsters were obtaining money by false pretence.

    He said: “The suspects carry out their activities by sending emails to unsuspecting victims mostly in the United States of America, while others were engaged in romance scam on several dating sites.

    “At the point of arrest, EFCC operatives recovered over 300 SIM cards from them.”

    Orilade said other items recovered from the suspects included different models and brands of exotic cars, 18 laptops, nine being of Apple brand, 50 cell phone, including 21  iphones and two bags of fetish objects.

    A source told The Nation that millions of naira was found in the bank account of one of the suspects identified simply as Biggie, who was planning to buy the latest model of a top automobile brand.

    The source added that about 13 posh cars were recovered from the suspects.

    Orilade added that the suspects would be charged to court after investigation.

  • EFCC nabs 34 Internet fraud suspects

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 34 suspected Internet fraudsters at 21, Sawmill Road, Awa-Ijebu, Ogun State.

    A statement by the EFCC said: “The suspected cyber criminals, who are between 19 and 37 years, include 23 students of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, nine of who are women, who claimed to be girlfriends and or neighbours of some of the suspects. One of the suspects is from the National Open University of Nigeria and 12 others are non-students.

    “The commission got wind of their activities through series of intelligence alleging that the suspected fraudsters engaged in fraudulent activities of obtaining money by false pretences through sending emails to unsuspecting victims, mostly in the United States of America. Others were engaged in romance scam on several dating sites.

    “At the point of arrest, EFCC operatives recovered over 300 SIM cards from them. Other items recovered include different models and brands of exotic cars, 18 laptops (nine being of Apple brand), 50 phones (21 iphones) and two bags of fetish objects (juju).  Several documents containing false pretences were also recovered from the suspects. They will be arraigned after investigation.”

  • EFCC arrests 24 undergraduates, others over cyber crime

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ibadan has arrested 36 suspected internet fraudsters at 21, Sawmill Road, Awa-Ijebu, Ogun State.

    The commission’s acting Head, Media and Publicity, Mr Tony Orilade, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

    Orilade stated that the suspects, who were between 19 and 37 years of age, included 23 university students, out of which, nine were ladies who allegedly claimed to be girlfriends and or neighbours of some of the suspects.

    He added that one of the suspects was from another university, while 12 others were not students.

    He stated that EFCC got wind of their activities through intelligence reports alleging that the suspected fraudsters were obtaining money by false pretext.

    He said, “the suspects carry out their activities by sending emails to unsuspecting victims mostly in the United States of America, while others were engaged in romance scam on several dating sites.

    “At the point of arrest, EFCC operatives recovered over 300 SIM cards from them.”

    Orilade said other items recovered from the suspects included different models and brands of exotic cars, 18 laptops, nine being of Apple brand, 50 cell phone, including 21  iphones and two bags of fetish objects.

    The media and publicity acting head said that the suspects would be charged to court after investigation. (NAN)

  • Alleged N7.65bn fraud: Court revokes Kalu’s 11-year bail

    A Federal High Court in Lagos has revoked the bail it granted a former governor of Abia State, Mr. Orji Uzor Kalu in 2007.

    Justice Mohammed Idris made the order following Kalu’s absence without permission from his alleged N7.65bn fraud trial.

    Read Also:Fake Atiku’s aide arrested after allegedly defrauding 50 on Facebook

    The judge ordered Kalu, who is believed to be in Germany for surgery, to surrender his travel documents to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) upon his return to Nigeria.

    Kalu was also ordered to surrender himself to the EFCC within 24 hours of his return, failure of which he would be arrested.

    Justice Idris held: “Due to the circumstances, I am constrained to revoke the bail granted to the first defendant (Kalu).

    “The first defendant is, however, permitted to continue with his medical treatment abroad unharrassed by law enforcement agencies.

    “Upon the first defendant’s return to the country, he shall at the point of entry surrender his passport and other relevant documents to the EFCC.

    “He shall also submit himself to the EFCC within 24 hours of his return, failing which he shall be arrested and detained by the EFCC.”

    Details shortly…