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Tag: ex-EFCC

  • Ex-EFCC chief: creation of special courts has vindicated me

    Ex-EFCC chief: creation of special courts has vindicated me

    Former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mrs. Farida Waziri has lauded Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen’s initiatives aimed at strengthening the war against corruption.

    Fielding questions at an event in Lagos at the weekend, Mrs. Waziri said she was happy with the CJN for setting up special courts to handle corruption cases, stressing that “this bold move has indeed vindicated me on the crusade I started for the establishment of specialised or special courts as EFCC chairman some eight years ago.”

    According to her, “the CJN is a man after my heart because great minds think alike. Finally, a Daniel has come to judgement. I remember when I began the call for special courts, I went round the leadership of the judiciary and NBA then. I took advantage of every opportunity I had to justify the need for it but many of my adversaries kicked against it because they were desperate for my downfall. But I’m glad some of them have joined the crusade today.”

    On her reaction to the shocking revelations on the volume of sleaze under the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, the former EFCC boss said: “I’m only glad that those things didn’t happen under my watch as EFCC Chairman because it would have been too traumatic for me. And that is why if I see President Jonathan today, I will kneel down to thank him for the honour done me by removing me as EFCC Chairman at the time he did.”

    Mrs Waziri went on: “My first strong premonition of what was ahead was when I began the probe of the monumental oil subsidy fraud going on then. I came to Lagos on a vital intelligence on the subsidy scam and as soon as I arrested a key culprit, I got a call from the Presidential Villa asking me to release the suspect, because, according to their words, ‘he is our person’, but I refused to let him off and days after I was removed from office.”

  • Ex-EFCC boss Lamorde keeps mum over Senate’s arrest order

    Ex-EFCC boss Lamorde keeps mum over Senate’s arrest order

    The immediate past Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Lamurde is not in the mood to talk ,at least publicly,about the warrant of arrest issued against him by the Senate.

    He rebuffed attempts yesterday by reporters to get him to respond to the Senate’s action.

    The Senate wants Lamurde to come and defend himself about a petition alleging that about N1trillion kept in the custody of the EFCC during his tenure was tampered with.

    The former boss of the anti-graft agency was sighted yesterday at the National Institute For Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Jos to commence a one year research course.

    He is one the 67 top public servants and private sector executives nominated for the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 38 at the end of which successful participants will earn mni (member Nigerian Institute).

    As reporters kept pestering Lamurde,a police officer,with questions on the development,he said: “Please, I’m here for a course. I’m here for pure academic research work. I will not discuss any other thing. “I will need to take permission from my sponsors, the Nigeria Police Force, before I comment on anything outside this course.”

    The course participants are drawn from the military, para-military organisations, the Police Force, Labour, civil service and the academic.

    All the participants arrived NIPSS two weeks before the inauguration of the SEC yesterday by the Vice President Profesor Yemi Osinbanjo.

    Lamurde’s predecessor, Nuhu Ribadu was also sent to the institute immediately he was removed as EFCC boss.

  • Why I can’t honour Reps, by ex-EFCC boss Waziri

    Why I can’t honour Reps, by ex-EFCC boss Waziri

    A  former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs.

    Farida Waziri yesterday wrote the House of Representatives explaining why she would not be able to appear before its committee probing the status of about N500billion assets recovered by the anti-graft agency.

    She said she is out of the country and might not be able to meet with the timeline for her appearance before the House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes.

    In a letter to the committee through her Confidential Secretary, Alfred I. Oko, the ex-EFCC chairman said she is willing to attend subsequent meetings on the issue at stake.

    The letter said: “I regret my absence at the Public Hearing due to my being out of the country following an earlier schedule that conflicts with the date of the meeting.

     

     

     

     

  • N4.5b fraud: Ex-EFCC worker faces trial for ‘receiving car gift’

    •Court remands suspect in prison

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

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

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

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

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

    “One of the counts reads: ‘That you Abdullahi Ishaq, being an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) attached to the Office of the Head of Operations, Abuja on or about the 4th of November, 2010 in Abuja, within the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory being a public officer used your position in the Office of the Head of Operations to receive a Toyota Camry car with registration number BG 260 MKA from Dr. Shuaibu Teidi as gratification for yourself and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 19 of the ICPC Act, 2000’.

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

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

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

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

    “Upon the plea, counsel to the EFCC, O.I. Uket, asked the court to fix a date for trial and that the accused be remanded in prison custody.

    “In response, counsel to the accused, Edwin Inegebu, prayed the court to grant him a short time to file the necessary papers for bail. He also prayed the court to remand the accused in EFCC custody pending the hearing of the bail application.

    Justice Garba remanded the accused in prison custody and fixed July 4 for trial.

     

  • How to curb corruption, by ex-EFCC chair Waziri, Akume

    How to curb corruption, by ex-EFCC chair Waziri, Akume

    Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri, and Senate Minority Leader George Akume, have suggested measures that will help in the fight against corruption in the country.

    Mrs Waziri called for new laws with stiffer penalties for corrupt acts and Akume advocated an enhanced pay for diligent public workers.

    They spoke in Abuja yesterday at the public presentation of a book, S. T. Hon’s Law of Evidence in Nigeria, written by Sebastine Hon (SAN).

    Mrs Waziri noted that unless existing laws, which she said have become archaic and ineffective, are repealed, the country will remain handicapped in fighting corruption.

    She said it is wrong for anyone to believe that existing laws in Nigeria could wipe out corruption because their inherent loopholes provide escape routes for corrupt people to escape punishment.

    She said: “It is a notorious fact that corruption is being fought partly with archaic laws, the laws that are no longer suitable for the unpleasant situation we find ourselves.

    “By the time most of our laws were being enacted by the colonial masters, nobody envisaged internet fraud, manipulation of computer to defraud, because those things were not there then.”

    The former EFCC chairman urged the National Assembly to come up with potent laws that can confront corruption and corrupt tendencies.

    She noted that the Evidence Act, for instance, was left for over 40 years to be manipulated in courts, especially in criminal cases, by dubious people.

    “It was not until recently, on June 3, 2011 to be precise, that the Evidence Act was amended. I was particularly happy for the amendment to Section 84 (1) (2),” she said.

    According to her, the section provides for the admissibility of computer and electronic generated evidence.

    Addressing reporters after the event, Mrs Waziri urged Nigerians to shun materialism.

    She noted that there is no need for any Nigerian to steal funds meant for the development of the country to build “big houses” that he or she does not need.